Understanding Research: A Journey from Positivism to Decolonization
What does research mean to me? This question involves a lifelong reflection and journey of growth in my understanding of knowledge and knowledge systems. Growing up and learning about research in the Canadian school system, I was taught that research is about investigating. Primarily in Science classes, I was taught that research involves investigating why certain things are the way they are and then exploring those things further to expand our knowledge.
As I grew older, I was taught that such investigations and scientific inquiries had to be impersonal and objective to eliminate bias and flawed reasoning. This positivist view of research continued to be reinforced, solidifying within me a rigid understanding of what research is. The more I learned about research and scientific investigations, the more I was discouraged by their sterile, perfectionist, and impersonal demands.
By the time I was in my General Sciences undergraduate degree, I had barely survived a Statistics course and had failed an Organic Chemistry class. These experiences led me to shift my focus toward the humanities, where my thoughts and feelings were not only allowed but encouraged, rather than criticized for 'tainting' the pristine scientific research method. During my post-baccalaureate education degree, I enjoyed majoring in English and preparing to work with young people, using approaches grounded in empathy, connection, and humanity. However, even then, I still held onto the rigid belief that research had to be empirical and objective.
This was dramatically transformed during my Master of Education studies, where I learned of research orientations such as constructivism, interpretivism, postmodernism, and more. It was refreshing to learn that research and knowledge extend beyond positivist traditions in science labs and that there is tremendous value in qualitative studies, which cannot be fully realized through quantitative methods. During my capstone research project, I found joy and deep meaning in conducting interviews, capturing knowledge that exists within the invisible connections of social interactions, and transforming it into codes and written language. This experience motivated me to pursue further studies in my Doctor of Education program and to continue exploring the magic of qualitative research.
Today, research means so much more than just data and lab work to me. It is about uncovering truths that are hidden from the everyday life and documenting it in ways that can inform scholars and practitioners in the field. Research is the magic of unveiling what lies beneath the façade of the Western-industrial-colonial blanket, drawing attention to other ways of knowing that challenge the status quo. This disruption brings me immense joy, as it validates my experience as a marginalized individual in destabilizing the center.
This is why my research is predominantly focused on decolonization, to remove the social structures that uphold one culture's knowledge systems as being universal and dominant, and to bring equity among all cultures and their knowledge systems to be valued and respected equally in our society. This pluralistic vision of decolonization is complex and continually evolving, involving deeper research processes that differ significantly from the traditional and positivist approaches I initially learned.
These possibilities excite and entice me, as research serves as a mechanism for accessing new frontiers in the pursuit of knowledge and understanding humanity. By engaging in research, I move closer to my vision of a decolonized society, which leads me to conclude that, personally, research represents hope.