This document provides a summary and visualization of the Chronotope Model developed by Kamberelis and Dimitriadis. It outlines four chronotopes (conceptual spaces) that represent different epistemological approaches in qualitative research: Objectivism and Representation, Reading and Interpretation, Skepticism, Conscientization, and Praxis, and Power/Knowledge and De-familiarization. Each chronotope is associated with key scholars and theories. The document then traces the evolution of approaches within anthropology and sociology from early structuralist views to newer postmodern, poststructuralist and interpretive perspectives. It aims to allow for assessment of contributions from these fields to language and literacy qualitative inquiry.

1. Qualitative Inquiry: Approaches to
Language and Literacy Research
by George Kamberelis and Greg Dimitriadis
A framework designed to allow for an
assessment of the contributions made by
anthropology and sociology to
language and literacy qualitative inquiry.

2. Lisa Purvin Oliner, MALS
Language, Literacy & Culture Concentration
Department of Teacher Education
and Curriculum Studies
College of Education
University of Massachusetts Amherst
9 May 2011
The Chronotope Model Visualized:
Making way for Additional
Interstitial Deconstructions

3. CHAPTERS AND PAGES IN
Denzin, Norman K. and Yvonna S. Lincoln, (Eds.)
The Sage Handbook of Qualitative Research. 4th Edition.
APPROACHES
Case study research
emancipatory action research,
genealogical & deconstructionist
research,
ethnographic(y) research
[genealogical &
deconstructionist research]
D & L Ch. 2 pp. 44-59
FOUR CHRONOTOPES
Epistemological dimensions of all
Chronotope
D & L Chapters 1 & 2 pp. 24-28
Chronotope I:
“Objectivism and Representation”
D & L Ch. 2 pp. 29-31
I II
III
IV
II
III
Chronotope III:
“Skepticism, Conscientization, and Praxis”
D & L Ch. 2 pp. 36-44
[emancipatory action research]
Chronotope II:
“Reading and Interpretation”
D & L Ch. 2 pp. 31-36
[ethnographic(y) research]
Chronotope IV:
“Power/Knowledge and De-familiarization”
[case study research]
TIME

4. Chronotope IV:
POWER/KNOWLEDGE & DE-FAMILIARIZATION
• Knowledge is an effect of existent power relations.
• Truth is an effect of power/knowledge.
• Subjects and objects are both produced within existent
relations of power.
• Language is a force among other forces that produce the real.
Chronotope III:
SKEPTICISM, CONSCIENTIZATION, & PRAXIS
• Knowledge is socially constructed and inextricably linked to
power relations.
• Truth is produced through dialogue within an “ideal speech
situation.”
• Subjects and objects are separate but mutually constitutive.
• Language constitutes thought and is a function of existent
power relations.
Chronotope II:
READING & INTERPRETATION
• Knowledge is socially constructed but value
neutral.
• Consensus theory of truth.
• Subject and objects are separate but mutually
constitutive.
• Language is constitutive of thought but value
neutral.
Chronotope I:
OBJECTIVISM & REPRESENTATION
• Knowledge is a “mirror of nature.”
• Correspondence theory of truth.
• Subjects and objects are separate and non-
constitutive.
• Language is a neutral vehicle of thought.
I II
III
IV
I
I
III
FOUR CHRONOTOPES OF TRANSDISCIPLINARY META DISCOURSE

5. THE ANTHROPOLOGY OF LANGUAGE AND LITERACY QUALITATIVE INQUIRY
Oliner 2011
“Objectivism and
Representation”
Chronotope I:
“Skepticism, Conscientization,
and Praxis”
Chronotope III:
“Power/Knowledge and De-familiarization”
Chronotope IV:
“Reading and Interpretation”
Chronotope II:
Ethnography of Communication Traditional (EOC)
(K&D, 2005, p. 60-)
Historical Timeline
Crisis of Relevance (D&L,2000)
Crisis of Representation (C&M,1986)
Crisis of Evaluation and Crisis of Praxis (D&L, 2000)
Historical Accounting of Transformation in Anthropology
(K&D, 2005, p. 60-)
To Attune to the Exigencies of
Researchers’ Accounting of Human Activity,
Asymmetric Power Relations, & Hegemonic Theories of Truth
Traditional Forms
(e.g. validity, reliability, generalizability)
Relevant Forms
(e.g. more relevant, attuned to the pragmatic times, universal inclusion)

6. Power/Knowledge and De-familiarization
Skepticism, Conscientization, and Praxis
politicization of language
Reading and Interpretation
diachronic dimensions of language
Objectivism and Representation
synchronic dimensions of language
Chronotope I:
Chronotope III:
Chronotope IV:
Chronotope II:
from Anthropology to Education
Safir (1900s)
then
Chomsky
to (1960s to 70s)
Hymes
to
Heath
and Philips (1970s to 80s)
Safir
documented different:
structural forms of linguistics
(e.g. languages, grammar,
phonological)
Safir began the
constructionist or interpretive
move to Chronotope II
Safir
Structural forms of Linguistics
to
Chomsky the founder of
Transformational Grammar
to
Hymes the founder of
Ethnography of Communication
and Language in Education
to
Heath
Philips
Language-based Ethnographies
Hymes
Cazden
Michaels
Language is inherently a political practice
Power distribution is uneven in classroom
Chomsky the founder of
Transformational Grammar
Hymes
focused on Linguistic Inquiry
phonology, semantics, pragmatics,
social structure
(abstracted from situated
social activities)
new focus on modes of inquiry &
Language performance
Philips
Language-based Ethnographies
Hymes, Cazden,
& Michaels
language is an inherently
political practice (uneven
distribution of power
within the classrooms)
The Chronotope Model Visualized:
Making way for Additional Interstitial Deconstructions
Kamberelis & Dimitriadis, 2011
Interpreted by
Lisa Purvin Oliner 2011

7. Hymes
focused on linguistic inquiry
phonology, semantics, pragmatics,
social structure
(abstracted from situated
social activities)
new focus on modes of inquiry &
language performance or
naturalistic ethnographic
approaches
Power/Knowledge and De-familiarization
Skepticism, Conscientization, and Praxis
politicization of language
Objectivism and Representation
synchronic dimensions of language
Chronotope I:
Chronotope III:
Chronotope IV:
Chronotope II:
Safir
documented different:
structural forms of linguistics
(e.g. languages, grammar,
phonological)
Safir began
the
construction
ist or
interpretive
move to
Chronotope
II
Reading and Interpretation
diachronic dimensions of language
Chomsky the founder of
Transformational Grammar
Philips
Language-based Ethnographies
Hymes, Cazden,
& Michaels
language is an inherently
political practice (uneven
distribution of power
within the classrooms)
Conversation Analysis &
Speaking Heuristics Schlegoff
•situation
•participant(s)
•acts or act sequence
•indexed by various m-c strategies
•meta-communicative strategies
(e.g. smiles, phatic interchanges,
handshakes, eye contact)
•key (i.e. mood, tone of meeting or
interaction)
•instrumentality is face-to-face
spoken language
•norms (e.g. hierarchical
assignment & boundaries and power
roles)
•genre as singular or hybrid (i,e,
formal meeting with informal
POSITIVIST
STRUCTURALISM
UNIVERSALISM
Garfinkel’s
symbolic interaction
Conversation Analysis (CA)
POST-POSITIVIST
POSTMODERNIST
POST STRUCTURALISM
blur the given truths
CONSCIENTIZATION
SKEPTICISM
Emphasizes differences
in what ways is language this way
Generalizability
a causal link btw.
behavior & results
Are the claims warranted?
value multiple perspectives
how do people take in the experience
Where is the confirmation.
reflexivity
Final Step in Process:
Look at the errors,
what was missed,
what could make this better?
Analysis of Discourse
How do people
perceive their reality-
How do people take in the experience? (TYA)
distance,
statistical significance,
beyond chance
Where is the confirmation? (TYA)
How do people perceive their reality?(TYA)
What was missed?
What could make it better? (TYA)
Final steps in the process ?
Multiple perspectives
valued. (TYA)
Oliner 2011
The Chronotope Model Visualized:
Making way for Additional Interstitial Deconstructions
generalizability-
a causal link btw.
behavior & results
pre & post-tests make
the study positivist.
(TYS)
distance,
statistical significance,
beyond chance

8. Hymes, Cazden,
& Michaels
language is an inherently
political practice (uneven
distribution of power
within the classrooms) (p. 67)
Hymes
focused on linguistic inquiry
phonology, semantics, pragmatics,
social structure
(abstracted from situated
social activities)
Power/Knowledge and De-familiarization
Skepticism, Conscientization, and Praxis
politicization of language
Objectivism and Representation
synchronic dimensions of language (P. 64)
Oliner 2011
Chronotope I:
Chronotope IV:
Boas & Safir
documented different:
structural forms of linguistics
(e.g. languages, grammar,
phonological) (P. 62)
Safir began the
constructionist
or ‘interpretive
turn’ to
Chronotope II
(P. 62)
Reading and Interpretation
diachronic dimensions of language
(64)
Chomsky the founder of
Transformational Grammar
Philips
Language-based Ethnographies
Schlegoff
Conversation Analysis &
Speaking Heuristics
POSITIVIST
STRUCTURALISM
UNIVERSALISM
Conversation Analysis (CA)
POST-POSITIVIST
POSTMODERNIST
POST STRUCTURALISM
blur the given truths
Emphasizes differences (TYA)
in what ways is language this way
Are the claims warranted?
Multiple perspectives
valued. (TYA)
generalizability-
a causal link btw.
behavior & results
pre & post-tests make
the study positivist.
(TYS)
distance,
statistical significance,
beyond chance
How do people take in the experience? (TYA)
distance,
statistical significance,
beyond chance
Where is the confirmation? (TYA)
reflexivity
Analysis of Discourse
How do people perceive their reality?(TYA)
traditional field-based, naturalistic
research methods of
data collection and analysis (p. 62)
CONSTRUCTIONIST new focus on modes of inquiry &
language performance or
naturalistic ethnographic approaches
Ethnography of Communication (EOC)
Situated Acts of Communication (p. 63)
OBJECTIVIST
INTERPRETIVE
Mead & Garfinkel
[1st] Chicago School of Symbolic
Interactionism SI (p.106)
grounded positivist ideals
Denzin
Second Chicago School of Symbolic
Interactionism (p.106-7)
interpretive ideals
INTERPRETIVE
SUBJECTIVITY
New Journalists
Wolfe, Capote, Richardson
literature is perceived as both
cultural object &
method linking lived interactional
experience to research &
writing enterprise (p. 110)
Self & social are co-constitutive (p. 111)
Facts & values are
integral & related (p. 111)
‘Marx
was praxis’
the fusion of theory & practice (p. 111) &
dialectical historicism/materialism (p. 112)
Weil
The Frankfurt school of Marxist
Thought (p.113)
critical social theory,
internal conceptualization, &
negative dialectics (p. 114)
Freire
Critical Pedagogy
Pedagogies of the Oppressed
Marxism & Education (p.113-14),
‘limit situations’ as the naturalization
of oppression,
alternative school-model as dialogic,
elicitation of words,
words perceived as generative (p. 116),
raise critical consciousness (p. 117)
Freire
critical reflection on praxis engagement
linked to political action (p. 117)
Chronotope III:Chronotope II:
What was missed?
What could make it better? (TYA)
Final steps in the process ?
The Chronotope Model Visualized:
Making way for Additional Interstitial Deconstructions

9. Hymes, Cazden,
& Michaels
language is an inherently
political practice (uneven
distribution of power
within the classrooms) (p. 67)
Hymes
focused on linguistic inquiry
phonology, semantics, pragmatics,
social structure
(abstracted from situated
social activities)
Power/Knowledge and De-familiarization
Skepticism, Conscientization, and Praxis
politicization of language
Objectivism and Representation
synchronic dimensions of language (P. 64)
Oliner 2011
Chronotope I:
Chronotope IV:
Boas & Safir
documented different:
structural forms of linguistics
(e.g. languages, grammar,
phonological) (P. 62)
Safir began the
constructionist
or ‘interpretive
turn’ to
Chronotope II
(P. 62)
Reading and Interpretation
diachronic dimensions of language
Chomsky the founder of
Transformational Grammar
Philips
Language-based Ethnographies
Schlegoff
Conversation Analysis &
Speaking Heuristics
POSITIVIST
STRUCTURALISM
UNIVERSALISM
Discourse Analysis (DA)
Conversation Analysis (CA)
rigorous microanalytic strategies
(p. 119)
POST-POSITIVIST
POSTMODERNIST
POST STRUCTURALISM
Emphasizes differences (TYA)
Are the claims warranted?
traditional field-based, naturalistic
research methods of
data collection and analysis (p. 62)
CONSTRUCTIONIST new focus on modes of inquiry &
language performance or
naturalistic ethnographic approaches
Ethnography of Communication (EOC)
Situated Acts of Communication (p. 63)
OBJECTIVIST
INTERPRETIVE
Mead & Garfinkel
[1st] Chicago School of Symbolic
Interactionism SI (p.106)
grounded positivist ideals
Denzin
Second Chicago School of Symbolic
Interactionism (p.106-7)
interpretive ideals
INTERPRETIVE
SUBJECTIVITY (moment to m.)
New Journalists
Wolfe, Capote, Richardson
literature is perceived as both
cultural object &
method linking lived interactional
experience to research &
writing enterprise (p. 110)
Self & social are co-constitutive (p. 111)
‘Marx
was praxis’
the fusion of theory & practice (p. 111) &
dialectical historicism/materialism (p. 112)
Weil
The Frankfurt school of Marxist
Thought (p.113)
critical social theory,
internal conceptualization, &
negative dialectics (p. 114)
Freire
Critical Pedagogy
Pedagogies of the Oppressed
Marxism & Education (p.113-14),
‘limit situations’ as the naturalization
of oppression,
alternative school-model as dialogic,
elicitation of words,
words perceived as generative (p. 116),
raise critical consciousness (p. 117)
Freire
critical reflection on praxis
engagement
linked to political action (p. 117)
Chronotope III:Chronotope II:
Gramsci, Bourdieu, Hall, Foucault,
Deleuze, Guattari
Marxism & Sociological
thinking/research (p.117-18),
theoretical advances explaining nature
& function of context &
re-evaluation of ‘objects of study’
Foucault & Deleuze
revised traditional Marxism,
critical theory perspectives, &
redistribution of power (p. 117)
Foucault
critical discourse analysis
(CDA)
‘bio-power’
the physical embodiment
of regimes of truth (p. 118)
REFLEXIVITY
Deleuze & Guattari
6 fundamental
principles of rhizome
as new theoretical
notion of ‘we’
(p. 125)
Gramsci & Hall’s
notions of ‘we’ &
‘articulations’ (p. 125)
Roeper/Chomsky
Lather feminist (post)critical poststructuralSOCIAL CONSTRUCT
The Chronotope Model Visualized:
Making way for Additional Interstitial Deconstructions
generalizability-
a causal link btw.
behavior & results
pre & post-tests make
the study positivist.
(TYS)
distance,
statistical significance,
beyond chance

10. Dedicated to
Gregory James Dimitriadis
Professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy
and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs
Graduate School of Education
University of Buffalo
The State University of New York
“And, Death will not find us thinking that we die…”
Martin Wylde Carter (1927-1997)
Thank you for the innovative roadmap to the evolution of critical work
designed by you and colleague George Kamberelis
in language and literacy research.