Week 1
Paradigm • Paradigm is a set of propositions that explain how the world is perceived, it contains a world view, a way of breaking down the complexity of the real world. Paradigm is a standard perspective or set of ideas. Its a combination of set of ideas and beliefs which are shared by members of a society. Its a way of looking at something. When you change paradigm you are changing how you think about something.Its a system of assumptions, concepts, values and practices that constitute a way of viewing reality.“A paradigm is a set of beliefs, values techniques which are shared by members of a scientific community, and which acts as a guide or map dictating the kinds of problems scientist should address and the types of explanation that are acceptable”. (Kuhn, 1970)
A paradigm is a central conceptual framework for how you can view the world around you. A paradigm can be so pervasive and broadly accepted as to be almost unnoticed, much the way you don't usually notice the air you breathe. For example, early observers of the heavens assumed that human beings were at the center of the solar system, with other planets and the sun revolving around Earth. That paradigm was eventually overturned by a new view of the solar system that placed the sun at the center.
Three major paradigms
1. Positivistic perspective
2. Interpretive perspective
3. Critical perspective
Positivistic Perspective It is the oldest paradigm. Linked with the work of A. Comte and E. Durkeim It defines reality as everything that can be perceived through the senses; other sources of knowledge are unreliable. Reality is out there, independent of human consciousness. Reality is objective, rests on order and is governed by strict, natural and unchangeable laws. It can be realized through experience.Positivism is the name for the scientific study of the social world. Its goal is to formulate abstract and universal laws on the operative dynamics of the social universe. A law is a statement about relationships among forces in the universe.
Interpretive Perspective Interpretative social science relates to the works of Vico, Dilthey, and Weber. Interpretive theorists believe that reality is not ‘out there’ but in the minds of the people. Reality is internally experienced, is socially constructed through interaction and interpreted through the actors and is based on the definition people attach to it. Reality is not objective but subjective.Interpretive approaches encompass social theories and perspectives that embrace a view of reality as socially constructed or made meaningful through actors' understanding of events. In organizational communication, scholars focus on the complexities of meaning as enacted in symbols, language, and social interactions.
Critical Perspective This was developed out of the work of Karl Marx and the critical, theorists and feminists. Critical theorists see reality in a different manner. Reality is created not by nature but by the powerful people who manipulate condition and brainwash others to perceive things the way they want them to, to serve the needs of the powerful. The overarching goal of the critical approach is to uncover the reasons for the imbalanced power and bring those causes to the attention of the oppressed so that they can push for power equalization in their organization.
