5 Inquiry as generative
Some authors who write about appreciative inquiry have argued for it to be renamed ‘generative inquiry’ (Zandee, 2013; Bushe, 2013), recognising that there is a danger that we solely focus on the positivity of the approach and risk downplaying real-life problems that need solving. In response, Bushe (2013) argues that an appreciative approach should focus on future-making, where generating new ideas, new thinking and new practices is central to its aims. It is this focus on generating different views, practices, ways of talking and speaking about what is happening that allows us to:
- challenge assumptions that underpin cultures of institutions, professions, fields of study
- reconsider aspects of practice that are ‘taken for granted’, allowing minor practices to become foregrounded
- change how people think about and see their practice.
You will now consider how creative tasks can help generate new ideas, thinking and actions as you proceed through this course.