If all the scholars in social sciences, in all the living sciences, do, in fact, necessarily activate some model of the living system of which they are studying or observing, then we might fruitfully attempt to abstract, compare, and study the general form of each of the various models the scholars use to identify isomorphisms. For example, we might compare the model of economic systems various writers use in analyzing government intervention. As I understand it the Keynesian model believes that demand can be increased by government spending and that will stimulate the economy to increase its production and employment. If the economic system is ailing, it is fixed by providing government spending to which it then responds and improves in its employment and production.
That model of a living system rests on the notion that the economic system is directly affected and responsive to environmental inputs, that it copies or reproduces something received; it may be isomorphic with the behaviorist model of cognitive development used by the Direct Instruction folks. The DI model seems to rest on the notion that cognitive development is the sum total of learning effects. In neither model is there the idea of some internal, constructive processes that follow their own internal self-regulations such that external factor are possible triggers for their activity but in no way controlling nor to be copied.
Of course, we want to know what other genral explanatory models operate in the social sciences before we begin to trace their developments and attempt explanations of the sources of their change and development across time. Such is my hypothesis regarding isomorphisms across the social sciences, and of course much empirical and theoretic work is needed before I can speak of any confirmation.
What I have in mind is that the study of political economy is one source of these models of living systems at work in the explanations of people since political economy confronts the effects of government on the economy. The economy as a living system may be forced to confront problem that government as an outside factor presents o it. Government from the point of view of the economic system is a challenge or external problem presented by its operating environment. Thus, problems of political economy as such, could be used to the study how Congressmen and others use some explanatory model to justify their positions on government and legislation. The current stimulus proposals would seem to present a source of interesting problems of explanation and justification that could be posed to politicians to reveal politicians' thinking that would lay bare the underlying model organizing their thinking.
The economy as an object of study is a living system entailing the propeties of living systems in general. The Behaviorists appear to see cognitive systems as accommodations, that is, merely as the effects of teaching and education.
About Me
- Richard Meinhard
- I came up through the elementary and middle school teaching ranks in Iowa and California to land in degree programs at the U of California and U of I. My Ph.D. is in developmental psychology and cognitive systems theory. After teaching at the U of Portland in math and teacher ed, I began my own organization to bring research into the public schools. I also have worked for policy changes such as chartering that would open opportunities for change oriented educators.
