Abstract:
This paper is written from the perspective of a practitioner-researcher coming to
terms with methodologically or theoretically pluralist practice. Common depictions of the
relationship between the hard and soft paradigms are discussed, including the influence of the
problem of paradigmatic incommensurability. The consequences of different ways in which
this relationship is depicted are examined, in light of various perspectives on the relationship
of Critical Systems Thinking to these paradigms. Alternative models of this relationship are
provided, followed by discussion of how these models can be extended to combinations of
other paradigms in different contexts.
