Using Interactive and Participant Methods: A Postmodern Shift in Political Science Research?
Using Interactive and Participant Methods: A Postmodern Shift in Political Science Research?

Summary/Abstract: This paper aims to discuss the main participant and interactive methods and their usefulness for the political science. These methods could provide a profound knowledge of social and political issues. This knowledge is held by different target groups and experts but it becomes accessible to researchers by involving persons belonging to those relevant groups in the scientific research. These methods also produce political, epistemological and ethical mutations. Both researchers and other research participants suffer a process of transformation, not only as levels and content of knowledge but also concerning their political attitudes and behaviours. Thus, science is no longer a neutral, objective and external approach to human beings, an approach accessible only to a restricted category (the researchers). The object of the study- i.e. people who are not necessarily scholars - also participate in the production of scientific knowledge. On the other hand, researchers have no longer the privileged position of those who know more and who remain unobserved observers. Scientific research becomes a mutual learning process. Consequently, participant methods are also democratic, eliminating the unequal distribution of power and authority between the two poles involved in scientific research (researchers and human “subjects”). However, there is a strong challenge to these methods, with both indisputable strengths and weaknesses. We will evaluate these issues through examples of using interactive and participant methods in the social research.

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