I'm not going to lie, I used to love taking these kinds of quizzes when I was younger (I think it grew out of those paper fortune tellers that were all the rage in the first or second grade). It's been years since I took one of these things though.... and I was both not overly impressed with this quiz, or happy with my results. For the quiz, in many cases the answers are very telling as to the theorist/scientist they are linked to - I'm sure it would be fairly easy to match them up if you had a list of names and backgrounds on each. In terms of my results, while I respect Foucault's work I have almost a cringe-reaction at hearing his name (thanks to once dating an obnoxious PhD candidate who was a bit too enamoured with his work).
Nevertheless, in terms of my result, I can see how my research (past, present and future) could be made to fit with Foucault's epistemological leanings. While I don't see history as being one continuous power struggle, and I'm not highly critical of modernity, I am a bit of a relativist. And when I look back at my previous research, it is true that I have been drawn to studying events that question the dominant historical narrative of the time. So, can I map myself within this epistemological category? Am I just like Foucault?
Not in the least.
I re-took the quiz a few times, selecting random answers, and I was always able to fit myself (somewhat) into the lengthy descriptions of the theorists that I was matched with. Like Jurgen Habermas, I do not believe that it's possible to separate perspective from research; like Ferdinand de Saussure, I think that the understanding of underlying structures is fundamental to understanding individual phenomena. Like Foucault, I don't believe in absolutes.
In the end, then, I don't think it would be possible to shape my research question and project design to fit into any particular epistemological leaning, without having to make modifications that would feel uncomfortable. I strongly believe that it is a dangerous thing to put too much stock into these 'categories,' and begin research with a strong idea in mind of how the end results should look - it's much better to figure things out as you go.
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