Blackwell Reference Online

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Naturalistic inquiry is a label given to certain forms of phenomenological inquiry, including some qualitative research, much interpretive research, and many other forms of non-experimental and non-positivist inquiry, which relies heavily on the assumption that sensemaking or meaning-making activities constitute forms of reality[ies] as meaningful, or more meaningful, to study than physical realities when dealing with human research. While positivist and experimental forms of inquiry rely heavily on factors which can be weighed, measured, assessed, or otherwise quantified, naturalistic inquiry – or constructivist inquiry, as it is more accurately labeled today – balances the inquiry focus by moving beyond tangible or measurable variables to focus on the social constructions of research participants. Social constructions are those products of the meaning making, sensemaking ( Weick 1995 ) mental activities that human beings engage in as a consequence of interaction with other human beings. Social constructions are critical simply because they determine how individuals (and groups) will respond to interactions, situations, events, and the other phenomena that swirl by them. It is not the situation, event, or interaction which determines an individual's response, but rather the social location, standpoint, gender, age, social class, attitudes, values, beliefs, and other attributes ... log in or subscribe to read full text