User:Ambertatham/sandbox

Week 2 - Disciplinary categories:

Reading one: What are academic disciplines? Observations on the disciplinarity vs interdisciplinarity debate.

Defining a discipline: disciplines have an object of research with specialist knowledge behind it. They have shared theories, specific terminologies, and research methods. They may also have connection to institutional teaching

Problems in defining disciplines – different ways to define disciplines:

1.     Philosophical perspective: disciplines are branches of knowledge that connect to the whole knowledge system

2.     Anthropological perspective: disciplines are influenced by cultures and language barriers

3.     Sociological perspective: a form of labour division with the aim to professionalise knowledge

4.     Historical perspective: societal context influences the development of a discipline

Even defining a discipline requires an interdisciplinary outlook.

Poses the argument that interdisciplinarity may have come about due to the broadening of a discipline’s knowledge field as we gather more knowledge, and may be due to the requirement for funding for research making disciplines branch out to new and possibly overlapping knowledge areas.

[http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.467.3004&rep=rep1&type=pdf What are academic disciplines? Observations on the disciplinarity vs interdisciplinarity debate]

Reading two: Practising Interdisciplinarity

Defining a discipline: disciplines are the eyes through which society sees, learns and shapes the world

Main points:

·      Disciplines have an influence on the world.

·      Disciplines are a social construct

·      Disciplines are undergoing dissolution. Different disciplines are affected in different ways, with natural sciences being more affected than humanities, as knowledge is developing very rapidly in this area and thus links are drawn across disciplines

Practising Interdisciplinarity

Comparison of reading one and two

On defining disciplines:    ‘Practicing Interdisciplinarity’ defines disciplines through intrinsic connection to the categoriser. They would not be, without the eyes that see the world. ‘What are academic disciplines’ on the other hand, seems to define academic disciplines as though they are a true entity, rather than a social construct, and they have groundings in logic.

On the central arguments: Both papers allude to the fact that knowledge categorisation is undergoing change in the direction of interdisciplinarity. Both suggest this is due to the broadening of our knowledge leading to overlap between knowledge areas, thus leading to the boundaries of disciplines becoming more flexible. ‘Practicing Interdisciplinarity’ explains the underlying reasons for the progression of interdisciplinarity through a more sociological perspective, with the focus being on changes in the humans that created the categories, leading to change in the categories themselves. ‘What are disciplines’ however, suggests that disciplines evolve in response to the economic and academic environment. Both are, in fact, similar arguments, as economics has an influence on social factors, and vice versa. We are the essential part of the knowledge environment and system.

Week 3 - Evidence:

Reading One: The art and science of clinical knowledge: evidence beyond measures and numbers

Medicine claims to be grounded in objective, evidence based knowledge, however, other human factors often interfere with evidence, meaning the conclusions formed about patient health may become subjective. This is because the doctor must not only understand the disease objectively, through the basis of clinical evidence, but also the patient themselves. The patient acts as a barrier to objectivity. A diagnosis must always have a human interaction, and where there is human interaction, objectivity is tainted. The article argues that the extent to which medicine is evidence based, is questionable.

Reading two: A systematic review of barriers to and facilitators of the use of evidence by policymakers

There is a gap between evidence and practice in policy making, meaning that decisions to implement policies are often not based on evidence. A lack of access to high quality research was found to be a major barrier in the ability of policy makers to make policies from informed decisions, based on evidence. In instances where policy makers and researchers collaborated, evidence based policies were easier to implement. This article suggests that collaboration is important for effective practice. It also implies that good evidence is not enough to form a string conclusion. The evidence may be good, but if it is not communicated correctly, then it will not lead to a good decision being made. This is another example of how human nature interacts in scientific evidence, and where people are involved, objectivity is not possible.

Week 4 - Truth:

Reading one: A Social History of Truth, Steven Sharpin

In searching for truth in knowledge, we rely on others, as knowledge is a collective. This relationship between truth and people gives truth a social element. Truth may not be objective, but rather socially subjective. | A Social History of Truth

Week 5 - Imperialism:

Research question - What is the contemporary influence of imperialism?

Sub-Question - To what extent does imperialism influence contemporary politics?

Reading one: Education and the new imperialism (Tilky, 2006)

New imperialism is defined as the process of incorporating low income countries, including ex-colonies, into global governance. Western powers influence other economies in this way, bringing about economic and political gain to themselves, often at the expense of the lower income countries. The western view is often imposed on these lower income countries, influencing their development in a direction of western ideals.

Reading two:The new age of imperialism (Foster, 2003)

This article suggests that the governance of the US in the 20thcentury bore imperialist elements. The economy tended towards a capitalist monopoly, something Lenin referred to as a stage of imperialism. Capitalism and imperialism are distinct, as free markets are an essential attribute of capitalism, whereas markets are controlled under imperialism. However, the US made movements to establish control over world markets, which can be seen as imperialist. It is also suggested that elements of US military involvement are imperialist in nature.

 Wikibook: 

Research Question: How does the commercialisation of social media impact the access to reliable truth?

Disciplinary areas: economics and social sciences

Research:

Psychological factors in consumerism

Paper One

Title, date and publication details: Snyder, M., & DeBono, K. G. (1985). Appeals to image and claims about quality: Understanding the psychology of advertising. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 49(3), 586-597. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.49.3.586

Central Quotation: Personality traits of the consumer influence whether consumers are more likely to be persuaded by product image or product quality.

Argument: People with high abilities to adapt to social situations were more persuaded by images than the quality of a product. Images influence decisions. Not necessarily displaying the truth. Truth is not a factor that consumers always consider or value.

Paper Two

Title, date and publication details: Can the Truth Hurt? How Honest and Persuasive Advertising Can Unintentionally Lead to Increased Consumer Skepticism. Journal of Consumer Affairs. Scott Koslow, 2005 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-6606.2000.tb00093.x

Central Quotation: Truthful advertising can be less persuasive, due to consumer skepticism.

Abstract: ‘In some situations, unsought, honest, but persuasive advertising claims may be difficult for many consumers to believe. To resist the hidden tactics and persuasive efforts of advertisers, defensively motivated consumers may challenge claims even if they have no rational reason for doing so. That is, consumer skepticism may evolve as a defensive coping and reactance response to pervasive advertising attempts.’

Argument:This supports the notion that truth is not necessarily the driving force of consumerism i.e. consumers are not persuaded by truth when being subjected to advertising

Paper Three

Title, date and publication details: The effect of social media communication on consumer perceptions of brands, B Schivinski & D Dabrowski, 2014  https://doi.org/10.1080/13527266.2013.871323 

Central Quotation: Social media communication between users influences the perception of a brand more than the firm’s portrayal of the brand.

Argument: This could mean that truth is important, as communication between users includes customer reviews, thus people who have used the product may be communicating their experience with potential buyers. However, a person’s opinion of a product cannot be seen as objective truth, therefore truth may not be the influencer of consumer decisions, but rather perceived truth.