Introduction to values in evaluation praxis section
| Published date | 01 June 2020 |
| Author | Ayesha S Boyce |
| DOI | 10.1177/1035719X20929014 |
| Date | 01 June 2020 |
| Subject Matter | Praxis |
https://doi.org/10.1177/1035719X20929014
Evaluation Journal of Australasia
2020, Vol. 20(2) 86 –88
© The Author(s) 2020
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DOI: 10.1177/1035719X20929014
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Introduction to values in
evaluation praxis section
Ayesha S Boyce
University of North Carolina Greensboro, USA
Abstract
The Evaluation Journal of Australasia special issue on Values in Evaluation published in
December 2019 gave an overview of current discourses associated with valuing in
evaluation with the debut of ‘Praxis’ papers. This introduction summarizes the three
praxis papers in this second Values in Evaluation special issue. The praxis papers
contribute to knowledge about the ways in which we can and should engage with
values across a variety of evaluation contexts with varying stakeholders.
Keywords
introduction, praxis, stakeholders, valuation, values
All evaluators advance values in their evaluation practice (Greene, 1997). As such,
Greene (1997, 2006) argues that the democratic principles of justice, equality and fair-
ness, should guide conversations within evaluation and ultimately evaluator decision
making. With justification rooted in our field’s continued expansion into diverse and
international contexts (Hood, Hopson, & Frierson, 2015), there are many frameworks
that can assist practitioners to explicitly address values of power, human rights, cultural
complexity, and social justice (Mertens & Wilson, 2018). The three praxis papers in this
issue explicitly or implicitly point to the importance of respecting multiple experiences
and ways of knowing. Furthermore, they each provide examples of how evaluators can
be educative as they grapple with ensuring multiple values and opinions are managed.
In the first article, ‘Values in conflict in cross-cultural architectural encounters’,
Week reflects on his experience working on a community building program in the East
Corresponding author:
Ayesha S Boyce, Department of Educational Research Methodology, School of Education, University of
North Carolina Greensboro, 252, 1300 Spring Garden Street, Greensboro, NC 27412, USA.
Email: ayesha.boyce@uncg.edu
929014EVJ0010.1177/1035719X20929014Evaluation Journal of AustralasiaBoyce
research-article2020
Praxis
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