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Praxis Intervention Praxis intervention Praxis intervention is a form of participatory action re- to reflexively recognize the arbitrary and discriminating search that emphasizes working on the praxis potential, mindsets within themselves and the world around and or phronesis, of its participants. This contrasts with other working towards correcting it is praxis intervention. The forms of participatory action research, which emphasize praxis intervention method helps members to struggle the collective modification of the external world (Madhu against structurally ingrained discrimination. 2005). Praxis potential means the members’ potential to Praxis intervention helps respondents to come out with reflexively work on their respective mentalities; partici- answers which they would not have otherwise expressed. pant here refers not just to the clientele beneficiaries of Questionnaire based surveys, formal interviews, and even the praxis intervention project, but also the organisers and focus group discussions are not useful to help respondents experts participating in such a project. Praxis interven- to come out with genuine answers to the questions posed tion is intended to lead its members through a “partic- at them. Praxis intervention as it helps groups of peo- ipant objectivation”. The method prioritizes unsettling ple probing their own conditions phase by phase through the settled mentalities, especially where the settled mind- prolonged discussions, experiments and conscious explo- sets prevalent in the social world or individuals is sus- rations is capable of coming out with better quality data pected to have sustained or contributed to their suffering that could be useful for the group to challenge existing or marginality (McLaren 2001). epistemic structures and work out their own well being. Praxis intervention is useful wherever reflexivity is a ma- 1 Reflexive and routine praxis jor component in a research project. Praxis was conceptualized in its reflexive and non- reflexive varieties by Karl Marx (Gouldner 1980:32–33). 3 Systematic participant objecti- The reflexive praxis is the moment in the dialectic change, vation in praxis intervention and the non-reflexive one as the routinising mechanism operating within the ideologies as a reproductive or status Praxis intervention interferes not only with the habitus of quo maintaining. In Marx, it is the non-reflexive habitu- the people with whom the action research is carried out, ating praxis, that leads to false consciousness and alien- but also the praxis intervention practitioner’s own habi- ation. tus. In this respect, the practice of praxis intervention Markoviç (1974:64) explains that moments of praxis in- is also a systematic participant objectivation. Participa- clude creativity instead of sameness, autonomy instead of tory objectivation is “objectifying the act of objectifica- subordination, sociality instead of massification, rational- tion”. By objectifying the objectification it is meant the ity instead of blind reaction and intentionality rather than researcher, while observing and objectifying, takes a sim- compliance. ilar critical distance towards the objectification itself. It is being sensitive to the immensely possible biases from the researcher’s social coordinates, field and intellectual ori- 2 Reasons for praxis intervention entation and self-critically problematising them to reduce the impact of the biases (Bourdieu & Wacquant 1992, pp. Praxis intervention makes research, creative expression 39–42; Bourdieu 2003). or technology development into a bottom-up process. It According to Bourdieu, within the sociological analy- democratizes making of art, science, technology and crit- sis, the participant objectivation is the essential but dif- ical conscience. The praxis intervention method aims ficult exercise of all because it requires the break with at provoking members to unsettle their settled mindsets the deepest and most conscious adherence and adhesions, and to have a fresh look at the world around and inter- those quite often give the object its very interest for those vene. For instance, members may take a fresh critical who study it, that is, everything about their relation to look on the gender relations existing, if the praxis inter- the object they try to know that they least want to know vention method is applied to study gender relations. They (Bourdieu & Wacquant 1992:253). It is through the par- would be unsettling their biographically and structurally ticipant objectivation that the practical relation to prac- ingrained perceptions of gender relations and freshly look tice is substituted with the observer’s relation to practice at it. A gradual process by which members are helped (Bourdieu 1990:34). Through the practice of participant 1 2 4 PRAXIS INTERVENTION IN PRACTICE objectivation, Bourdieu aims to make the critical and po- ical changes happening in their habitat, learning histor- litical activity of social research the “solvent of doxa”. ically and comparatively on their health status, nutrition Though the practice of reflexive participant objectiva- status etc. The research undertook by the local residents tion, the practitioner re-looks the taken-for-granted as- can be converted into social actions or welfare projects. sumptions in order to wake up from their epistemic sleep The practice of praxis intervention can be used in many and helps their clients too to help them to wake up from fields such as post positivist research, social work re- their own. search, participatory action research, Local history re- search, Social action and social work projects, Clinical health research, Community Health research Projects, 4 Praxis intervention in practice Participatory technology development projects, and many other projects where people’s participation and their crit- Praxis intervention as a practice involves working on the ical reflexivity is crucial. bias of the professionals and their clientele. It is a prac- tical method of “objectifying objectification” on a col- lective basis (Maton 2003:57). The praxis intervention 4.1 In education method problematises the bias of the researcher and her The method can be used in the field of education. Ed- clientile emerging from their social origins, class, gender ucational process can be re constituted in accordance to coordinates; their position in the intellectual field and in the learning capabilities of the sets of students. Students their respective social space; and also their “intellectual going under the process of praxis intervention would lis- bias,” the results of viewing the world as a spectacle. ten to the expert opinions and explanations of the phe- In practice it involves the clientele and the researchers nomenon under discussion and they would carry out ex- collectively probing into a problem that affects the clien- periments in the laboratory or in appropriate practical tele and helping the clientele to find solutions to their field relevant to the phenomenon under focus individu- problem through reflexive probing with the experts be- ally, collectively and collaboratively as they are guided longing to relevant fields. The project aims at the clien- by the expert teachers. They would bring back the re- tele and the researchers work together and collectively sults of experiments to the classroom setting and clarify learn from each other. Praxis intervention can be car- with each other and also with the expert teachers. In this ried out in phased manner. The first phase could in- process syllabus can be indicative negotiable taking into volve orienting the clientele (and experts as well) of the consideration of the advancement of knowledge creation. problem under focus. The problem under focus could be In this process knowledge becomes creative appropria- anything like existing status of marginality, gender re- tion rather than indoctrination.This may help students to lation, health condition or status of present technology gain great quantity of quality knowledge within short pe- etc. Once the problem could properly be oriented from riods of time. The method could be effectively used in as much angles as possible the clientele, experts and oth- pre-primary to Higher schools of education.The method ers could involve discussing appropriate method to probe could be used in development of professional skills such the issue under discussion. They could also decide on as engineering, medicine, nursing, law, agricultural sci- the phases through which the collective probing to be un- ence, social work, management, career guidance, exper- dertaken. The second phase could be clientele explor- tise development, teaching and other such fields. ing the issue themselves through the methods collectively For instance, students of various technology oriented agreed. They could maintain a journal to record their ex- courses can be guided to develop and enhance technol- periences and reflexive probing. The third phase could ogy by going under a praxis intervention experiment with be the clientele coming together with experts and shar- users, experts and other relevant stakeholders. This could ing their experience with their fellow clients and experts. be appropriate for development and promotion of free After discussing all the observations and experiences the software. method of enquiry can be further fine-tuned for better un- derstanding. Gradually the clientele could be guided to intervene on the issue concerned and document their ex- 4.2 In healthcare perience. Their action and reflexion could be discussed and fine tuned for further
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