Dissertation•
Disciplined reasoning: Styles of reasoning and the mainstream-heterodoxy divide in Swedish economics
01 Sep 2018-
TL;DR: The authors argue that the mainstream-heterodoxy divide is fruitfully understood in terms of the institutionalised stabilisation of a disciplinary style of reasoning, and show how economists understand their scientific approach and its merits.
Abstract: Economics is one of the most influential social science disciplines, with a high level of internal consent around a common theoretical and methodological approach to economic analysis. However, marginalised schools of thought have increasingly unified under the term “heterodox” economics, with their critical stance towards the “neoclassical mainstream” as common denominator. This has spawned debates among scholars about how to understand the nature of the mainstream-heterodoxy divide in economics.This thesis sets out to explain how such a common approach to science is generalised and stabilised in modern economics, and how this process is related to heterodoxy. Grounded in the sociology of science, it aims first to provide an empirical account of the mainstream-heterodoxy dynamics in Swedish economics, and second, to contribute to theory development. Drawing on the literature on distinct styles of reasoning in the history of science, I develop a theoretical framework of relational disciplinary styles of reasoning, which is used to analyse two bodies of empirical material from Swedish economics. The first is an in-depth interview study with researchers in economics, and the second is a document study of expert evaluation reports from the hiring of professors of economics at four of the top Swedish universities during 25 years. Through the two empirical studies, the fine-grained qualitative material provides an insight into the ways economists understand their discipline and the character of proper knowledge production.I argue that the mainstream-heterodoxy divide is fruitfully understood in terms of the institutionalised stabilisation of a disciplinary style of reasoning, and show how economists understand their scientific approach and its merits. The maintenance of the style of reasoning is the achievement of the thought collective of economists, where boundaries are constructed in relation to contesting heterodox economics and to other scientific disciplines. I show how the disciplinary style with its conception of good science and the notion of a core of the discipline is linked to the reproduction of disciplinary boundaries. I trace how this plays out through shifting quality evaluation practices, and show how top journal rankings have become a powerful judgement device which links the hierarchical ranking of top journals to the notion of a disciplinary core, and effectively functions as a mechanism of disciplinary stabilisation. In conclusion, I argue that these processes form a self-stabilising system in which the disciplinary style of reasoning and its boundaries is reproduced, with potential implications for how we understand intellectual dynamics and pluralism. (Less)
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TL;DR: To study the operational behaviour of λ-terms, this work will use the denotational (mathematical) approach to choose a space of semantics values, or denotations, where terms are to be interpreted.
Abstract: To study the operational behaviour of λ-terms, we will use the denotational (mathematical) approach. A denotational semantics for a language is based on the choice of a space of semantics values, or denotations, where terms are to be interpreted. Choosing a space with nice mathematical properties can help in proving the semantic properties of terms, since to this aim standard mathematical techniques can be used.
880 citations
TL;DR: Information is provided on how to identify the wood of several species common to the Northern Hemisphere using a hand-magnifying lens, as well as some techniques used in the study of Japan.
Abstract: Section (CRN) Meets in: Instructor: Office Ofc Hrs. STSH1110-01(60478) Carnegie 102 Jeanette Simmonds (simmoj@rpi.edu) Sage 5706 TBA STSS1110-01 (60138) Carnegie 205 Selma Sabanovic (sabans@rpi.edu) Sage 5703 Tue 4-5p IHSS1963-01 (62348) Sage 2701 Atsushi Akera (akeraa@rpi.edu) (see above) IHSS1963-02 (62349) DCC 236 Meredith Wells (wellsm@rpi.edu) TBA TBA IHSS1963-03 (62350) Sage 4203 Camar Diaz (diaztc@rpi.edu) Sage 5710 Tue./Fri. 4-5p IHSS1963-04 (62351) Carnegie 208 Lorna Ronald (ronall@rpi.edu) Sage 5706 TBA IHSS1963-05 (62352) Sage 2112 Jeffrey Hannigan (hannij@rpi.edu) Sage 5202 TBA *office hours also by appointment.
225 citations
Journal Article•
190 citations
01 Jan 2016
TL;DR: The handbook of science and technology studies is universally compatible with any devices to read and is available in the authors' digital library an online access to it is set as public so you can get it instantly.
Abstract: Thank you for reading handbook of science and technology studies. As you may know, people have look numerous times for their chosen books like this handbook of science and technology studies, but end up in infectious downloads. Rather than reading a good book with a cup of coffee in the afternoon, instead they juggled with some infectious virus inside their desktop computer. handbook of science and technology studies is available in our digital library an online access to it is set as public so you can get it instantly. Our book servers hosts in multiple countries, allowing you to get the most less latency time to download any of our books like this one. Kindly say, the handbook of science and technology studies is universally compatible with any devices to read.
166 citations
References
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Dissertation•
01 Jan 1998
TL;DR: In this article, the authors focus on organizational change in four industrial corporations and place a special emphasis on the symbolic and rhetorical aspects when changing organizations, and present some aspects of the process when constructing or producing organizational meaning.
Abstract: The focus of this dissertation is on organizational change in four industrial corporations. A special emphasisis placed upon the symbolic and rhetorical aspects when changing organizations. Main concepts in the study are symbolic management and management of meaning. Two main areas are discussed in the dissertation. Firstly, how the new organizational meaning is constructed or produced. Secondly, the character i.e. the contents of this new organizational meaning. The empirical material used as the foundation for the interpretations and evocations presented in the study has been collected from visits to four Swedish industrial organizations of which three are large world-wide or global industrial corporations. Although there is a great amount of Swedish influence in the ownership the headquarters of these companies moved outside Sweden during the 1970s and 1980s. The fourth company- established in the early 1980s- is still operating from Sweden and was until recently owned by the management group, comprising the founders of the company. Most of the empirical material comes from Alfa AB ( anonymously named so). The interviewing process started in 1990 and went on until the fall of 1995. Within this disseration an attempt is made to present some aspects of the process when constructing or producing organizational meaning. Also, the contents of this new organizational meaning is studied. One central issue discussed as a "finding" in the dissertation concerns the seemingly growing relevance and importance of the symbolic dimension in the new work organization. As discussed in the study this increased emphasis on the symbolic aspect relates primarily to the implementation of a process oriented work organization along with a process inspired philosophy of organizing. Within this frame of reference, physical boundaries of the organizations are becoming exchanged for more 'invisible' and virtual ones. From the managerial perspective there seems to be an increased interest in the symbolics of organizing to represent and construct organizational meaning in this 'new organizational world´. According to the study these new modern organizations increasingly seem to unfold as concepts or constructs.
11 citations
14 Jan 2008
11 citations
"Disciplined reasoning: Styles of re..." refers background in this paper
...…of an epistemological break, a radical rupture where the obstacles of scientific thought—common sense ideas and concepts—are replaced by a new scientific conceptual object, thus constituting a scientific realm of thought and practice radically distinct from surrounding lay knowledge (Tiles 2004)....
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Dissertation•
01 Jan 2010
TL;DR: In this article, the authors analyse conceptions of change with the point of departure being texts developed within the framework of three development partnerships financed by the European Social Fund's Equal Programme 2001-2007.
Abstract: In this thesis the overall aim is to analyse conceptions of change with the point of departure being texts developed within the framework of three development partnerships financed by the European Social Fund's Equal Programme 2001-2007. The development partnerships, consisting of collaborating parties from both the public and private sector, aimed at developing new methods and ideas in order to counteract discrimination and all kinds of inequality in working life. The thesis poses the following research questions: How are the problems that the development partnerships intended to counteract described? What appears as important to change in order for discrimination in working life to decrease? In what ways are changes aimed at combating discrimination and contributing to increased gender equality and diversity in working life deemed possible? What motives emerge behind the visions of creating a working life without discrimination? How are gender and other social categories constructed and how do these constructions impact on the conceptions of change that emerge? The ideas, perspectives and interests that characterise the understanding of changes in working life in the studied texts, are illustrated with the aid of theories on how society's forms of rule have changed from government to governance and theories on how gender is done. Furthermore, why certain perspectives and ideas emerge and the consequences of them is analysed based on institutional ethnography and concepts such as social relations and ruling relations. The thesis' analysis points to how the consensus-based organisational form of partnership and the politics and principles that are reflected in the Equal Programme together with notions on growth, leadership and gender create limits for the conceptions of change. Limits that in certain respects entail that society's relations of power and inequality, instead of being challenged, are reproduced. Based on the results of the study, the importance is emphasised of continuously taking one's point of departure in identifying and challenging the limits to how one can speak of change, since the dominant conceptions of change may be an expression of the ruling relations.
11 citations
Book•
01 Jan 2010
TL;DR: In this article, Ross B. Emmett, David C. Engerman, Jean Baptiste Fleury, Daniel Geary, Romain Huret, Joel Isaac, Tiago Mata, Heath Pearson, Jeff Pooley, Andrew Scull, Mark Solovey, Teresa Tomas Rangil
Abstract: Contributors: Ross B. Emmett, David C. Engerman, Jean Baptiste Fleury, Daniel Geary, Romain Huret, Joel Isaac, Tiago Mata, Heath Pearson, Jeff Pooley, Andrew Scull, Mark Solovey, Teresa Tomas Rangil
11 citations
Dissertation•
01 Jan 2003
TL;DR: This study shows that day treatment was important for the patients and what the personnel believed to be unique and specific about their work in order to demarcate and establish this new form of care is investigated.
Abstract: In the past few decades a comprehensive restructuring of psychiatric care has taken place in Sweden. The activities of the traditional closed institutions have been curtailed through a drastic reduction in the number of beds available in such institutions. "Day treatment," has arisen as a new form of intensive outpatient care in the new, geographically localized psychiatric care of patients with long histories of mental illness. The day treatment center that I studied was intended to be a permanent unit, but it lasted only five years. The dissertation is based on interviews and first hand observations from this day treatment facility. I have interviewed 32 patients, often more than once. The staff members - psychologists, psychiatrists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, doctors, counsellors and psychiatric nurses - were interviewed twice each. The purpose of the study is to investigate the patients' views of illness and health, treatment, rehabilitation, and relations between the patients themselves and patients and staff, in light of how these are affected by the new day treatment form of care. I also investigated what the personnel believed to be unique and specific about their work in order to demarcate and establish this new form of care. Interpretations of the patients' and personnel's responses are made against the background of the social processes and social contexts in which they participate. The study finds that the patients see themselves as both healthy and ill. The patients describe their own activity, their own initiatives, as important in being healthy, and that the people around them must respond positively to these initiatives and activities. The patients develop various coping strategies in other everyday relations to deal with their problems and treatment. Frequently this means partially of entirely hiding one's illness and treatment. The patients find "that extra" or " exceptions" from ordained routines in their treatment to be especially positive and health promoting. Relationships with the staff are also emphasized as of the utmost importance in the treatment process. The patients evaluate the various curative effects of therapy as changes, patterns and discoveries. According to the personnel, what hallmarks the activities of the unit is the way care is planned, basing activity on what is healthy, utilizing all available resources, and developing special relationships with the patients. What was unique about the center was that it could offer a variety of treatment and rehabilitation methods. Day treatment was a novel and untried alternative when the center opened. This study shows that day treatment was important for the patients. An important question is thus, what role does the lack of stability and longevity play when new forms of care are established? There are a variety of effective treatment and rehabilitation methods that can improve the situation of the mentally ill in society. The real challenge now is in delivering these alternatives to patients in an accessible, consistent, and reliable manner.
10 citations