Developing a Creative Analytic Paradigm

The thesis is essentially an explication of a research paradigm, referred to as the Creative Analytic Paradigm (CAP), which is a basic category of social research encompassed by a superordinate category, referred to as generative social research. The thesis presents a contrasting concept of social research to that of paradigms located within quantitative, qualitative or mixed methods research. The approach to writing the thesis has endeavoured to reflect the character of the research process by incorporating extracts from a memo dataset and by dispersing elements from the substantive content within the encompassing context of paradigm development. The thesis contributes to the burgeoning discourse related to the development of reflective practice and future of qualitative research, including prospects for post qualitative research.
The substantive content of the thesis comprises five satellite topics illustrating the genealogy of the CAP with a particular focus on the Generative Divergent Analysis (GDA) model. The general area of interest, referred to as the primary sensitizing concept within the terminology of the CAP, is the early-years physical learning environment. The thesis presents a process model of research which supports a being-in-relation to evocative objects related to the physical learning environment. The contemplative dispositional nature of the paradigm valorises acquaintanceship and ongoing relationship as part of a personal aesthetic. The potential for professional practitioners utilising this approach to research in the context of an ongoing professional conversation is in the focus on fluency and flexibility of reflective thinking, the generation of unbounded ideas and differentiation of the perceptual and conceptual field.
The thesis concludes by exploring the potential for developing approaches to research within an alternative generative social research category in contrast to quantitative, qualitative or mixed methods approaches.