Allen Mooneyhan
Socio-Cultural
Foundations of Education
Cultural
Themes
Scientific Reduction
Dr.
Mitchell Holifield
Arkansas
State University
February
5, 2001
The
premise of scientific reductionism is that a phenomenon can be broken down into
its simplest form becoming a series of parts which can be viewed in place of the
phenomenon as a whole. According to
Stepulevague and Plumeridge (1998) reductionism is "the breaking up of a
phenomenon into simpler, isolated parts in order to come to an understanding of
the more complex." This
implies that the act of breaking a phenomenon into smaller unrelated parts makes
it easier to understand. Bilimoria
(1998) supports this definition by stating that through scientific reductionism
a complex phenomenon can be completely understood in terms of its elements.
One reason for the breaking up of a phenomenon is to create a form which
can be measured. For example, Miller (1992) defines scientific reductionism as
seeking to explain phenomenon by breaking everything into component parts and
measuring the pieces. He continues
to explain scientific reductionism by looking at the following characteristics.
"Nature is a system of lawful regularities best understood through
reason." This means that the
best way to understand nature is through scientific reasoning rather than
subjective experiences. "Truth
is tested by actual effectiveness in practical use."
Truth is not revealed to us but becomes fact when it is tested through
scientific reasoning. Finally,
Miller speaks of "the highest aim of science." This aim is to give humankind the power to control physical
events by channeling the knowledge of natural laws. Miller (1992) credited Bacon, Descartes, Galileo, and Newton
as early contributors to and followers of scientific reductionism.
Scientific
reductionism has the potential to impact our schools. Whether one sees this as a positive or negative event depends
upon their views regarding scientific reductionism. Total scientific reductionism to the point of suspending the
merit of emotions, feelings, and values will likely not occur in our schools.
However, the merits of a degree of reductionism will likely have an
impact in different areas of our schools. For
example, it may be acceptable that studies in certain subject areas are
relatively free of emotions with emphasis on phenomena which can be broken down
and measured accurately. Furthermore,
the National Curriculum is reemphasizing traditionally defined subjects in the
name of reductionism (Gruber, 1998). This
may be a case where the use of the concept of reductionism is being used to
promote a particular curricular view.
Scientific
reductionism will probably not occur to the point that human behavior is reduced
to isolated facts which are studied. Several
experts in education have spoken out against the over reliance on numbers in
place of human feelings and potential. Friedman (1999) stated that human functioning cannot be
explained by biology or other physical phenomena.
Additionally, Stepulevage & Plumeridge (1998) believe that it is
difficult to reintegrate what is experimented upon back into its complex social
structure. This supports the notion
that, although you may be able to break phenomenon down into simple facts that
can be measured, you may not be able to transfer the results of studying those
facts to the phenomena in its original un-insolated condition.
The lack of support for scientific reductionism in educational
organizations may be a result of what Bilimoria (1998) calls legitimizing
pillars of normative management. She
cites these pillars as positivism, objectivism, reductionism, rationalism, and
science. She further states that education is hesitant of these areas
because they do not rely on the wisdom of ancient traditions and knowledge
systems. It may require leaders to
break from traditional norms of educational practices to support these areas.
There
is additional research that conveys a lack of support for scientific
reductionism. Greenfield &
Ribbins (1993) claim that administrative science has failed education.
They believe this is because administration is not a science but a moral
or political event. Therefore, administration as a phenomenon should not be
broken down into isolated parts but should be seen as an event which includes
many moral or political aspects. Additionally, human potential and passion are
lost because science eliminates human emotion from the equation (Greenfield
& Ribbins, 1993). Poggenpohl
(1998) supports this by stating that "Abstraction and scientific
reductionism fail to address issues of human agency."
This is indicative of the assumption that through scientific reductionism
we may be neglecting to properly consider the effects of values, beliefs, and
morals.
Finally,
quantitative approaches remain the preferred way for measuring human and social
problems (Miller, 1992). The
quantitative approach is influenced by positivism which holds that if something
is real it is measurable. Thus,
positivism supports the tenet that quantitative study is the valid way of
measuring and studying phenomena. It
is the failures of scientific reductionism that have and will continue to fuel
the pressure that comes to bear on school organizations to support other means
of facilitating and studying human social behavior.
The
pressure that educational organizations feel from community groups lead to what
Gaddy, Hall, and Marzazno (1996) call School Wars. Different segments of the community call on educational
leaders to adhere to practices they believe should be the function of the
schools. Many times these different
segments of the community are at odds with each other.
One area where community groups are at odds with one another is in the
area of teaching of morality. Stoll
and Beller (1998) advocate the teaching of morality and say that reductionism
misses the nature of what it means to be morally educated. In other words, when
human nature is reduced to a set of isolated components we lose what many
maintain is our moral self. This
moral self is the ability to think in conjunction with one's emotions, values,
and beliefs. On the other hand, the
humanistic movement has taken up the view that a rational scientific approach is
the best method for achieving a humane, democratic society.
This indicates that pressure may be brought to bear by the humanistic
movement to include scientific reductionism in our educational organizations
(Miller, 1992). Finally, in
contradiction to the views of reductionism, morals are important to the
professional lives of teachers (Hyland, 1997).
This view indicates the need for moral education and an emphasis on views
that are not associated with reductionism and thus, cannot be measured such as
values, beliefs, and personal subjective experiences.
References
Bilimoria,
D. (1998). What If We Taught Management As If "All Our Relations"
Mattered? Journal of Management Education. 22. 449-451. Thousand Oaks.
Friedman,
E. H. (1999). A Failure of Nerve: Leadership
in the Age of the Quick Fix. Bethesda, MD: The Edwin Friedman Estate/Trust.
Gaddy,
B. B., Hall, T. W., & Marzano, R. J. (1996). School Wars
Resolving Our Conflicts Over Religion and Values. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass
Publishers.
Greenfield,
T. & Ribbins, P. (1993). Greenfield on Educational Administration Towards a Humane
Science. London & New York:
Routledge.
Gruber,
K. H. (1998). So-called, Real and Ideal Comprehensive Schools.
Oxford Review of Education. 24. 245-248. Oxford.
Hyland,
T. (1997). The Moral Role of the Teacher. Journal of Moral Education. 26.
497-498. Abingdon.
Miller,
R. (1992). What Are Schools For? Holistic
Education In American Culture. Brandon, VT: Holistic Education Press. Second
Edition.
Poggenpohl,
S. H. (1998). Doubly Damned: Rhetorical and Visual. Visible Language. 32. 200-233.
Stepulevage,
L. & Plumeridge, S. (1998). Women Taking Positions Within Computer Science. Gender
and Education. 10. 313-326. Abingdon.
Stoll,
S. K. & Beller, J. M. (1998). Can Character Be Measured? Journal Of
Physical Education, Recreation & Dance. 69. 19-24. Reston.