Foundations of Laboring

Pragmatic fieldwork involves work. It is not enough to inform policy. The pragmatic fieldworker labors. Labor is a powerful part of the method. Laboring is a “rubber-hits-the-road” moment that tests, in the pragmatic fieldworker’s body, the pragmatic power of an idea – its ability to motivate action (James, 1896). Labor evaluates the cleverness of a plan or policy. It is always easy to tell someone else how to do something, but actually doing it may reveal the strengths and flaws of the technique. 

Labor also develops social capital and trust in a community, which enlivens the process of knowing (Rorty, 1979). Organizational stakeholders are more likely to grant access to someone who earnestly labors alongside them. Labor also develops a sense of the life within a community. Finally, labor can be profoundly dignifying, which can transform the fieldworker’s identity in powerful ways.

Skill Development for Labor

Capacity for laboring can be improved by acquiring techniques for staff coordinating, facility maintenance, etc. and staying in active physical and mental shape.