Representation

Evaluators who ground themselves in qualitative or interpretivist approaches to inquiry are confronted with the challenge of what has been labeled by postmodern scholars the “crisis of representation.” Constructivist and interpretivist approaches to evaluation and social research acknowledge the constructed nature of the social world and the multiplicity of experiential realities that might be represented through evaluation or inquiry. Evaluators who work within this frame understand that how they present their research or evaluation findings to audiences is at least as important as what they present. Presenting evaluation findings is no longer just a matter of choosing the right questions; collecting the right data; and writing a clear, succinct report. Questions of voice, style, and audience are brought to the fore for consideration in the ...