Dan+-+Interpretivism

Interpretivism Page

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**Example From Education**
The last graduate program I was a part of focused some attention of [|Constructivist Learning Theory]. I liked the concept, it reminded me of things I've learned throughout my life in apprenticeship based learning models or project based learning models. When possible I incorporated aspects of [|Constructivism] into my teaching practice, mostly when we focus on independent projects or when we have the opportunity for a choice project. As I read about the underpinnings of Organizational Theory as Interpretive Science a number of commonalities jumped out at me. When Hatch and Yanow wrote about meaning making for example, "It also refers to the communal character of knowing; the modes of interpreting (or 'making') meaning are developed among a group of people--community of interpreters, a circle--acting and interacting together in that process, thereby coming to share an approach to understanding a problem" (p.p. 68-69). It occurred to me that in constructivism we also end up with a shared understanding or vocabulary unique to the individuals in the room. Again when Hatch and Yanow wrote, "Phenomenologists and hermeneutic thinkers alike emphasize the context-specificity of knowledge: it is created //in// a situation and is //of// that situation," (p. 69) I was drawn back to the idea of shared information in a group setting building a learning experience for the members.

My artifact is a link to more about [|Constructivism].

**Example From Corporate Culture**
Schein's examples from corporate American made me think about what other corporate entities may, on occasion, do to encourage the "right kind of culture" (p. 360). I have a friend in marketing and his team was required to attend [|High Ropes Adventure] (Not this location, the link is just an example) Schein says managers try to foster the idea of the "right kind of culture," but that thinking is flawed, or perhaps, incomplete. Schein goes on to write, "I will argue that we must avoid the superficial models of culture and build on the deeper, more complex anthropological models. Culture will be most useful as a concept if it helps us better understand the hidden complex aspects of organizational life" (p. 360).

Now, my friend had fun--that was his interpretation of the days events; others felt differently. Did the day's events help the marketing team work together more effectively? Who's to say. But, they did accumulate a shared experience and perhaps, learn a little about each other.

**Example From Pop Culture**
I don't know about the rest of you, but in the summer I find more time to waste on basically any diversion I come across. After reading Hatch and Yanow and thinking about Interpretive Science I was watching a recorded stage of the Tour de France, as a diversion. During one of the many commercial breaks I saw an add for [|Chemistry.com] and was struck by how close some aspects of it were to Hatch and Yanow, "For, example, we rarely discuss explicitly, in common everyday encounters, what our values are. One might strike up a conversation with someone waiting in line at the supermarket and infer what values or what is meaningful to him... (p.67). This organization claims success in cutting through all that static and matching individuals based upon "real meaningful values" in order to "facilitate long meaningful relationships." There is a coupling joke in there somewhere... I guess it fits with phenomenology; each individual arrives with their past intact and [|Chemistry.com] applies the relationship formula.

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