INCLUD-ED, through the communicative research perspective aims at having a significant social and political impact on the European educational and social systems, as was achieved in previous FP projects (ex: Workaló, FP5). The communicative perspective arises from different theoretical contributions.

Habermas, in the theory of communicative action, argues that there is no hierarchy between the interpretations of the researcher and the subject, and their relation should be based on the arguments they provide and not on their social or academic position. The relevance of the subjects’ interpretations is considered after Schütz’ phenomenology (Schütz & Luckmann, 1974) and it allows for strengthening the role of typifications in building ideal types. However, this research perspective also draws from Mead’s symbolic interactionism (1934), which stresses that interactions make people’s interpretations change, and therefore do not only depend on the individual subject. Garfinkel’s ethnomethodology (1967) framework is considered for a better understanding of the subject’s insights in their contexts.

The communicative perspective includes the contributions of objectivist and constructivist orientations, but places most weight on the processes of critical reflection and self-reflection, and on intersubjectivity, in which meanings are constructed in interactive communication between people, reaching agreements. The researcher brings into the dialogue his or her expertise and knowledge about the developments taken place in the scientific community which is contrasted with what social agents think and experience. This contribution and the debate about it is covered in the book co-authored by Touraine, Wieviorka and Flecha (2004) about the voices of cultural groups in social research. Other renowned authors like Jerome Bruner and Amartya Sen have recognized this research’s scientific and social relevance [1]. In this project the consortium will investigate, understand and interpret new realities from this orientation.

  • References:

- Schütz, A.& Luckmann, T. (1974). Structure of the Life-World. London: Heinemann.

- Mead, G.H. (1934). Mind, Self and Society. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

- Garfinkel, H. (1967) Ethnomethodological Studies of Work. Londres: Routledge and Paul.

- Touraine, A.; Wieviorka, M. & Flecha, R. Conocimiento e identidad (2004). Voces de grupos culturales en la investigación social. Barcelona: El Roure.

[1] Personal and written communications with members of the INCLUD-ED Consortium.