Appreciative inquiry is more than a qualitative research method. The central thematic question of Laine Goldman’s (2014) doctoral dissertation had been “What is the lived experience of a media freelancer at the border of a changing work culture?” She made use of the methodological tool appreciative reflection, which entails an appreciative inquiry inspired interactive and generative narrative. Through appreciative reflection Laine Goldman succeeded to counter potential grumbling by showcasing the immense work of multimedia freelancers during the recession; and also highlighting the factors that contribute to career longevity. Laine Goldman, as co-participant, enabled a richer portrait to emerge, instead of focusing on deficit discourse.
Appreciative inquiry served as perception changer. Laine Goldman did not change the content of conversations, but she framed the lived experiences of her research participants through an appreciative stance. Laine Goldman did not deny the backstory of decreased wages, tighter deadline, and increased competition of recession’s economic hardship. Instead she focused on the successful navigation of multimedia freelancers for decades. Note the shift from a problem-focused discourse to finding what is working. Such repositioning enables change. Appreciative reflection makes use of auto-ethnography, where the “self in relation to others” is situated in the context. Constructionist change practice involves the assumption that when the positive experiences of people are explored, the conversations begin to change a more positive outlook.
It is not a matter of fixating on the positive and glossing over difficulties. Appreciative reflection serves as a wide-angle lens in order to find “the best of what is present in each moment, person, and experience”; not our desires for the current situation.
Goldman, L. 2014. Appreciative reflection, a wide-angle lens for changing perception. AI Practitioner, the International Journal of Appreciative Enquiry, 16(3), 53-58, August 2014.
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