Developing agency in a writing centre context: A Social Realist interpretation
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Date
2019
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch University
Abstract
The aim of this article is to explore how aspects of a Social Realist theoretical framework could
be understood in relation to my professional development as a writing centre consultant and
manager. I share the view that a Social Realist framework could enable consideration about
processes of developing or extending knowledge about ourselves in relation to cultural and
structural phenomena in society, and may explain how or why changes occur or remain
unchanged in socio-cultural settings. The research question that this article sets out to address
is: How can my internal reflexive conversations help explain my professional development? I
begin the theoretical framing for this paper by means of a brief introduction to Critical Realism
(Bhaskar 1998, 2008, 2009). This is followed by a discussion of Social Realism (Archer 1995,
1996, 2000, 2007, 2010). I present introductory explanations of the major concepts used in the
Social Realist theoretical framework, namely ‘structure’, ‘culture and ‘agency’, and I explain
related concepts necessary for analytical sense-making.
Description
Keywords
Social realism, Autoethnography, Culture, Higher education, South Africa
Citation
Slemming, F. (2019). Developing agency in a writing centre context: A Social Realist interpretation. Stellenbosch Papers in Linguistics Plus, 57, 149-168. 10.5842/57-0-815