Walking over eggs: Considerations about research from a construtionist point of view

Abstract

What notion of action is compatible with constructionist research? Taking this question as a provocation, we use a study carried out to evaluate the role of the National Aids Committee (CNAIDS) of the Brazilian Ministry of Health as a starting point for the formulation of a concept of action that might be compatible with a constructionist position. Starting by questioning the classic notion of action, it goes on to propose alternative conceptualisations of action, exploring the implications of notions such as Varela?s enaction for constructionist research. The CNAIDS research is used as an example of possible ways of conducting intervention-research with a constructionist spin. The expression intervention-research is used in this paper as a discursive strategy to emphasize that all research has consequences and is necessarily a process of making sense of events in our life.