Transformative Paradigm

The transformative paradigm represents a worldview, and its accompanying philosophical assumptions, that emerged from the writings of scholars from diverse ethnic and racial groups, people with disabilities, and feminists. Evaluators work in contested territory that is laden with pluralistic values and associated with real-life implications for resource allocation. These characteristics of the evaluation landscape not only differentiate it from traditional social science research but also logically connect it with the work of transformative scholars. The transformative paradigm's basic beliefs are that knowledge is not neutral: It is influenced by human interests, and all knowledge reflects power and social relationships within society. The transformative paradigm is characterized as placing central importance on the lives and experiences of marginalized groups such as women, ethnic and racial minorities, ...