Associative Inquiry

Aesthetics in an Era of Anesthetics

The word "methodology" suggests ways of approach based on a particular set of assumptions - a lens that is appropriate to a particular world-view or mythology. If something falls outside the realm of that approach, the attached methodology cannot be expected to apply except, perhaps, to give a new and possibly fresh angle, or to highlight the methodology's limitations.

If understanding something by pulling it apart into discrete pieces is what is called for, say learning to draft images of the parts of clockwork mechanisms, then analysis (study of constituent parts) may be required. If consideration of a system as a whole will result in greater understanding then synthesis may be the way to approach the subject. You probably get the idea. One kind of focus, by definition, leaves out things or ways of looking. By design my eyes are not capable of seeing directly behind me. Thanks goodness my body is made for turning around.

Physical Science does not do well with intangibles that do not lend themselves to measurement. Phenomenology was not meant to produce quantitative measurements and redundancy-verified statistics. Especially in the beginning of practice, Narrative Inquiry was not meant to make more efficient the assembly of mechanical widgets and Appreciative Inquiry is justly criticized for not being able to work with conflict as such, since there are so many things not appropriately framed in terms of appreciation. Science is regularly portrayed as being in conflict with Religion as though one should be able to validate or disprove the other.

Why is the contemporary scene so full of methodological crossovers? Since this is a summary I will generalize widely. To read more in-depth work (short of my entire dissertation) please visit my cultural theory blog.
Because human beings love to connect things and to pull them apart. The important criteria is to do the right thing at the right time and to be able to 1) maintain attention for how things are not working well within the current frame so movement becomes possible and 2) switch modes while in movement when necessary. Humans not only pull apart and put together but do so because the capacity to change may be the most basic human reality. Hear that I am not saying that humans want all things to change all the time, only that human life requires the concrete to be subject to flexibility and the unknown to be, at least in part, subject to knowing. We yearn for different things and experiences while we crave comfort and reassurance in the face of uncertainty and its ultimate expression - Death. Humans and human groups are constellations of huddled yearnings massing to be free. This brings "huddled masses yearning to be free" into conflict with each other that can be most useful, threatening, illuminating, mysterious, and motivating. To work with this, actively and passively, we propose ideas to ourselves and others, mostly familiar but also strange, about how our world and cultures should work and then we consciously and unconsciously proceed to create concrete systems as if these ideas were the literal case.

Associative Inquiry gets at how ideas and their consequences are related in order to look for ways our conflicting ideas can work well in service to life rather than poorly in service to domination and needless suffering. If it is important to keep ideas separate then AsIn(tm) is not the best route to take. If you find yourself before a Grand Jury under indictment for perjury it might not be the best move to initiate an inquiry into the elements about which you are being questioned unless, of course, you have nothing to fear. If what is desired is

• the creation of an environment prepared to tolerate ambiguity in which
  
• all voices/influences will be welcomed by
  
• seasoned facilitators whose job is to include everything that is impacting a given sphere of influence, such that
• local participants become able to remember the web of associations built and can
• continue the discoveries together in order to make concrete changes in behavior that will benefit the entire group
  

then AsIn(tm) may be for you.

If you'd like to know more about this approach and its antecedents contact me, Brandon WilliamsCraig, using either (866) 236-0346 or public at bdwc dot net

To read more about the cultural theory underlying these ideas please go to bdwc.net, if you are not there already.

Timor dei initium sapiente

from: http://www.answers.com/analysis+?cat=biz-fin

a·nal·y·sis (ə-năl'ĭ-sĭs)
n., pl. -ses (-sēz').

1. 1. The separation of an intellectual or material whole into its constituent parts for individual study.
   2. The study of such constituent parts and their interrelationships in making up a whole.
   3. A spoken or written presentation of such study: published an analysis of poetic meter.
2. Chemistry.
   1. The separation of a substance into its constituent elements to determine either their nature (qualitative analysis) or their proportions (quantitative analysis).
   2. The stated findings of such a separation or determination.
3. Mathematics.
   1. A branch of mathematics principally involving differential and integral calculus, sequences, and series and concerned with limits and convergence.
   2. The method of proof in which a known truth is sought as a consequence of a series of deductions from that which is the thing to be proved.
4. Linguistics. The use of function words such as prepositions, pronouns, or auxiliary verbs instead of inflectional endings to express a grammatical relationship; for example, the cover of the dictionary instead of the dictionary's cover.
5. Psychoanalysis.
6. Systems analysis.

[Medieval Latin, from Greek analusis, a dissolving, from analūein, to undo : ana-, throughout; see ana– + lūein, to loosen.]

from http://www.answers.com/methodology&r=67

meth·od·ol·o·gy (mĕth'ə-dŏl'ə-jē)
n., pl. -gies.

1. 1. A body of practices, procedures, and rules used by those who work in a discipline or engage in an inquiry; a set of working methods: the methodology of genetic studies; a poll marred by faulty methodology.
   2. The study or theoretical analysis of such working methods.
2. The branch of logic that deals with the general principles of the formation of knowledge.
3. Usage Problem. Means, technique, or procedure; method.

from: http://www.answers.com/synthesis?cat=health

syn·the·sis (sĭn'thĭ-sĭs)
n., pl. -ses (-sēz').

1. 1. The combining of separate elements or substances to form a coherent whole.
   2. The complex whole so formed.
2. Chemistry. Formation of a compound from simpler compounds or elements.
3. Philosophy.
   1. Reasoning from the general to the particular; logical deduction.
   2. The combination of thesis and antithesis in the Hegelian dialectical process whereby a new and higher level of truth is produced.

[Latin, collection, from Greek sunthesis, from suntithenai, to put together : sun-, syn- + tithenai, to put.]

with Gratitude.