Objectivity and the supernormal: the limitations of bracketing approaches in providing neutral accounts of supernormal claims
This paper contends that bracketing approaches to the sociological study of supernatural, paranormal, and occult proponents do not truly bracket' the reality-claims made by those being studied, but instead impose ontological limits on what can be considered supernormal'. It is argued tha...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Carfax Publ.
[2004]
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| In: |
Journal of contemporary religion
Year: 2004, Volume: 19, Issue: 1, Pages: 85-98 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (Resolving-System) |
| Summary: | This paper contends that bracketing approaches to the sociological study of supernatural, paranormal, and occult proponents do not truly bracket' the reality-claims made by those being studied, but instead impose ontological limits on what can be considered supernormal'. It is argued that such boundaries and definitions tend to rule out alternative ontological perspectives of the kind that researchers typically encounter among religious, paranormal, and occult proponents. It is also argued that, unlike earlier reductionist approaches to the supernormal, the bias of bracketing approaches is not necessarily based on an underlying sceptical outlook of researchers, but rather reflects an inherent ontological limitation within the sociological enterprise itself. It is recommended that bracketing should be replaced by a reflexive, dialogical approach that emphasises the ontological positioning of social analyses with respect to supernormal claims. |
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| ISSN: | 1469-9419 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Journal of contemporary religion
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1080/1353790032000165131 |