Pattern, Participation! Praxis! and Power in Unitary Appreciative Inquiry

This article is an explication and clarification of unitary appreciative inquiry based on several recent projects. Four central dimensions of the inquiry process are presented: pattern, participation, praxis, and power. Examples of inquiry projects demonstrate and illuminate the possibilities of unitary appreciative inquiry. The relationship of these central dimensions to experiential, presentational, propositional, and practical knowledge outcomes is articulated. A matrix framework integrating pattern, participation, praxis, and power demonstrates the potential for generating knowledge relevant to the lives of participants and creating an inquiry process worthy of human aspiration.