Citation

Patomaki H. J. Peace Res. 1997; 34(3): 325-329.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1997, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/0022343397034003008

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

As a reaction to Osterud's attack on 'postmodernism', it is argued that post-structuralism, Critical Theory and critical realism should be seen as important responses to the crisis of positivism and modernity. Even the few 'postmodernists' who would be willing to defend the idea that it is only thought and discourses that matter or that 'anything goes' or that we should stop talking about truths have been able to contribute to transformations of understandings in a constructive way. Even though some of the actual critical-reflective analyses have been rather conventional, there is much room for producing even better critical-reflectivist studies in the future. However, Osterud's loaded terms have effects of power: there is an unjustified tendency to silence the emerging latemodern interpretative and explanatory possibilities.