DOCSLIB.ORG

Evaluating Oral Histories for Restoration Ecology

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Evaluating Oral Histories for Restoration Ecology Edith Cowan University Research Online Theses : Honours Theses 1999 Evaluating oral histories for restoration ecology Margaret Robertson Edith Cowan University Follow this and additional works at: https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses_hons Part of the Natural Resources and Conservation Commons Recommended Citation Robertson, M. (1999). Evaluating oral histories for restoration ecology. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/ theses_hons/512 This Thesis is posted at Research Online. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses_hons/512 Edith Cowan University Copyright Warning You may print or download ONE copy of this document for the purpose of your own research or study. The University does not authorize you to copy, communicate or otherwise make available electronically to any other person any copyright material contained on this site. You are reminded of the following: Copyright owners are entitled to take legal action against persons who infringe their copyright. A reproduction of material that is protected by copyright may be a copyright infringement. Where the reproduction of such material is done without attribution of authorship, with false attribution of authorship or the authorship is treated in a derogatory manner, this may be a breach of the author’s moral rights contained in Part IX of the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). Courts have the power to impose a wide range of civil and criminal sanctions for infringement of copyright, infringement of moral rights and other offences under the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). Higher penalties may apply, and higher damages may be awarded, for offences and infringements involving the conversion of material into digital or electronic form. EDITH COWAN UNIVERSITY LIBRARY Evaluating Oral Histories for Restoration Ecology By Margaret Robertson A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of Bachelor of Science (Environmental Management) Honours Faculty of Health, Communication and Science Edith Cowan University Date of Submission - 27 April 1999 .· USE OF THESIS The Use of Thesis statement is not included in this version of the thesis. iii Abstract Significant ecological restoration is required in the agricultural regions of south- western Australia. Environmental history, including local knowledge based on long­ term observation of the biophysical environment, can help guide this process. Scientists already use local anecdotal infonnation because other information sources are absent or too recent, yet they are often skeptical of its veracity. This study focused on whether environmental oral histories can be evaluated for factual accuracy and their capacity to be useful in the restoration process. Some of the complexities associated with linking environmental histories with restoration ecology, and the role played by oral histories in establishing the link were reviewed. Three analytical tools were then established: l. A set of five ecosystem attributes against which the relevancy and comprehensiveness of the oral histories could be assessed. 2. A classification of uses of historical information in the restoration process for assessing the capacity of the interviews to provide information that helps determine restoration potential, understand processes of change and assist restoration planning. 3. A triangulation process for corroborating recollections across interviews, and through the use of external data sources, in order to examine the consistency and veracity of the recollections. These analytical tools were applied in a case study set in the degraded headwaters of the upper Tone River, south-western Australia. Purposeful sampling was used to select seven interviewees with information-rich recollections of the biophysical iv condition of the river commencing prior to extensive clearing in the catchment in the late 1940s. The interview method employed broad, open questions about the ecosystem attributes to avoid pre-determining the content of the interview, and to give participants the freedom to recall what was significant about the river to them. To avoid compromising the triangulation exercises, memory aids were not used. The deliberate non-use of specific and probing questions in the interviews probably reduced the amount and type of detailed information collected, and the capacity to determine its factual accuracy. Amending the interview method would address this issue. Nevertheless, information was collected that was relevant and potentially useful to river restoration, principally in relation to setting goals of importance to local people. Cross-interview analysis corroborated almost 50% of selected recollections across the interviews. An exercise using the results of the cross-interview analysis and identified infonnation sources, found that most of the statements could be corroborated, and therefore increased in evidentiary value. In another independent test of the oral histories, statements were taken from transcripts and given to scientists trained in aspects of restoration ecology. They determined that nearly two-thirds of all statements were capable of being checked for factual accuracy. This study has demonstrated that when oral histories are collected for a particular purpose, there are techniques that can be used to extract and evaluate relevant information. By using a diversity of techniques to assess the veracity of the recollections with significant success, it has also been shown that recollections can be a valuable source of factual information. v Declaration I certify that this thesis does not incorporate without acknowledgement any material previously submitted for a degree or diploma in any institution of higher education; and that to the best of my knowledge and belief this does not contain any material previously published or written by a1;1other person except where due reference is made in the text. Signature Date . ;/,]. ~-../t'fJ ...... vi Acknowledgrments I am grateful to my supervisor, Dr Pierre Horwitz, for his keen interest in this project. His guidance and support have been unfailing, and his insightful comments were a source ofjoy! I had the pleasure of interviewing seven people for inclusion in the case study and I thank them for their participation and hospitality: Michael Fryer-Smith, William Harvey, Lawrence (Mick) Lee, Diana Mathew, Chris Owen, David Ryall and Helen Young. I am also grateful to several other members of the Kojonup community, in particular Walter Furniss, Virginia Lee, Gary McQuire, John and Kath Mathwin, and Gres, Ian and Jill Robertson for providing local information. Brenda and Richard Trigwell, and Bill, Phillip and Margaret Scott were of great assistance in the early stages of the project. Drs Luke Pen, Richard Hobbs, Peter M. Davies and Richard George kindly agreed to participate in the evaluation of the data. Luke also provided valuable suggestions during the development of the project. Rycki Maltby gave initial advice about the qualitative research aspects ofthe study. The project benefited from the assistance of numerous people and agencies who contributed information and/or ideas. In particular, I wish to thank Viv Read, Jeff Garbutt, Daniel Wong and Lin Ye of the Water and Rivers Commission; John Dell and Mark Cowan of the WA Museum; Mal Graham of the Department of CALM, Katanning; Gary Fenner of the Valuer General's Office; Greg Beeston of Agriculture WA; Angela Sanders and Greg Harold of Moloch Fauna Consulting; Jan Henry and Ken Youngson of Ninox Wildlife Consulting, the Oral History Unit at the Battye Library; and Stephen Mattingley. vii Special thanks go to Jill and Gres Robertson and Ute Goeft for their support, and also to Nicole Hodgson and Michael Rowe for their help on a number of occasions. Keith Bradby has been a stalwart believer in the project and an invaluable sounding­ board, who deserves my sincerest thanks. He also provided assistance with locating references for the corroboration of the recollections and helpful comments on a draft of the thesis. viii Table of Contents CHAPTER ONE I. INTRODUCTION I 1.1 Background to the study 2 1.2 The significance of the study 3 1.3 The purpose of the study 4 CHAPTER TWO 2. DEVELOPMENT OF ANALYTICAL TOOLS FOR EVALUATING ORAL HISTORIES 6 2.1 Restoration ecology and environrnenta1 history: theory, application and linkages 6 2. I .I Defining restoration ecology and its purpose 7 2.1.2 Defining environmental history 9 2.1.3 Exploring links between restoration and environmental history 9 2.2 Oral history: a review of its use and evaluation in an environmental context 34 2.2.1 Defining oral history 35 2.2.2 Reliability, validity and selectivity of recollections 37 2.2.3 Oral environmental history as a guide to the cultural context of environmental change 40 2.2.4 Oral environmental histories as sources of ecological infonnation 42 2.2.5 Critiquing oral histories for factual accuracy and application to restoration ecology 44 2.3 Triangulation theory and its appl'lcaf1on to oral history 54 CHAPTER THREE 3. METHODOLOGY 59 3.1 Design and data collection 59 3.1.1 Case study background 59 3.1.2 Preparation, theory and practice 63 3 .I .3 Sampling strategy 66 1. ~ .4 Interview method 73 3.1.5 Procedure 78 3.2 Data analysis 82 3.2.1 Overview 82 3.2.2 Application of the oral histories to ecological restoration 84 3.2.3 Evaluating reliability and validity 88 CHAPTER FOUR 4. RESULTS 96 4.1 Assessing the Usefulness of the Oral Histories to Ecological Restoration 96 4.1.1 Relevance and comprehensiveness of the recollections 97 4.1.2 Examining the interviewer's role 113 4.1.3 Assessing the
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Creation of an Hgis Database
    A PRACTIUM ON UNCERTAINTY: CREATION OF AN HGIS DATABASE A Thesis by JESSE ANDREWS Submitted to the Graduate School at Appalachian State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS DECEMBER 2017 Department of Geography and Planning A PRACTIUM ON UNCERTAINTY: CREATION OF AN HGIS DATABASE A Thesis by JESSE ANDREWS December 2017 APPROVED BY: Kathleen Schroeder, Ph.D. Chairperson, Thesis Committee Kara Dempsey, Ph.D. Member, Thesis Committee Jessica Mitchell, Ph.D. Member, Thesis Committee Kathleen Schroeder, Ph.D. Chairperson, Department of Geography and Planning Max C. Poole, Ph.D. Dean, Cratis D. Williams School of Graduate Studies Copyright by Jesse Andrews 2017 All Rights Reserved Abstract A PRACTIUM ON UNCERTAINTY: CREATION OF AN HGIS DATABASE Jesse Andrews B.A., University of North Carolina Greensboro Chairperson: Kathleen Schroeder Integrating Geographic Information Systems (GIS) historical sources and geospatial technology offers a fruitful new approach to mapping, analyzing, and modeling the past. This project employs sources freely available online to create a historical geodatabase of the A Line of the Mexican National Railroad circa 1910. The project utilizes satellite imagery, census data, historical maps, train schedules along with postcards and photography from the period, to reconstruct the rail line and its stations shortly before the Mexican Revolution. These sources are combined in a GIS to create a highly accurate map and associated historical database of the system as it existed in the first decade of the 20th Century. The database suggests the potential of future scholarship combining GIS software, satellite imagery, and online source materials.
    [Show full text]
  • Teaching the Voices of History Through Primary Sources and Historical Fiction: a Case Study of Teacher and Librarian Roles
    Syracuse University SURFACE School of Information Studies - Dissertations School of Information Studies (iSchool) 2011 Teaching the Voices of History Through Primary Sources and Historical Fiction: A Case Study of Teacher and Librarian Roles Barbara K. Stripling Syracuse University Follow this and additional works at: https://surface.syr.edu/it_etd Recommended Citation Stripling, Barbara K., "Teaching the Voices of History Through Primary Sources and Historical Fiction: A Case Study of Teacher and Librarian Roles" (2011). School of Information Studies - Dissertations. 66. https://surface.syr.edu/it_etd/66 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the School of Information Studies (iSchool) at SURFACE. It has been accepted for inclusion in School of Information Studies - Dissertations by an authorized administrator of SURFACE. For more information, please contact [email protected]. ABSTRACT The ability to analyze alternative points of view and to empathize (understand the beliefs, attitudes and actions of another from the other’s perspective rather than from one’s own) are essential building blocks for learning in the 21 st century. Empathy for the human participants of historical times has been deemed by a number of educators as important for the development of historical understanding. The classroom teacher and the school librarian both have a prominent stake in creating educational experiences that foster the development of perspective, empathy, and understanding. This case study was designed to investigate the idea
    [Show full text]
  • Past Looking: Using Arts As Historical Evidence in Teaching History
    Social Studies Research and Practice www.socstrp.org Past Looking: Using Arts as Historical Evidence in Teaching History Yonghee Suh Old Dominion University This is a comparative case study of how three high school history teachers in the U.S.A. use art in their practice. The following research question was investigated: How do secondary history teachers incorporate the arts—paintings, music, poems, novels, and films—in their teaching of history and why? Data were collected from three sources: interviews, observations, and classroom materials. Grounded theory was utilized to analyze the data. Findings suggest these teachers use the arts as historical evidence roughly for three purposes: First, to teach the spirit of an age; second, to teach the history of ordinary people invisible in official historical records; and third, to teach, both with and without art, the process of writing history. Two of the three teachers, however, failed to teach historical thinking skills through art. Keywords: history, history instruction, art, interdisciplinary approach, thinking skills, primary sources. Introduction Encouraging historical thinking in students is not a new idea in history education. Since the turn of the 20th century, many historians and history educators have argued that history consists of not only facts, but also historians’ interpretation of those facts, commonly known as the process of historical thinking, or how to analyze and interpret historical evidence, make historical arguments, and engage in historical debates (Bain, 2005; Holt, 1990; VanSledright; 2002; Wineburg, 2001). Many past reform efforts in history education have shared this commitment to teach students to think historically, in part by being engaged in the process of historical inquiry (Bradley Commission on History in Schools, 1988; National Center for History in the Schools, 1995).
    [Show full text]
  • Method and Meaning in Canadian Environmental History
    00_fm.qxd 2/5/08 9:00 AM Page i Method and Meaning in Canadian Environmental History EDITED BY Alan MacEachern The University of Western Ontario William J. Turkel The University of Western Ontario 00_fm.qxd 2/5/08 9:00 AM Page iii Dedicated to 51°50'1.93" N 122°33'22.54" W and 46°10'26.32" N 63°18'20.75" W 00_fm.qxd 2/5/08 9:00 AM Page iv Contents Geographical and Temporal Coverage Chart . vi Alan MacEachern, “An Introduction, in Theory and Practice” . ix Section I: Approaching Environmental History . 1 Graeme Wynn, “Travels with George Perkins Marsh: Notes on a Journey into Environmental History” . 2 Donald Worster, “Ice, Worms, and Dirt: The Power of Nature in North American History”. 24 Section II: Reading Landscapes. 35 Peter E. Pope, “Historical Archaeology and the Maritime Cultural Landscape of the Atlantic Fishery” . 36 Carolyn Podruchny, “Writing, Ritual, and Folklore: Imagining the Cultural Geography of Voyageurs”. 55 Section III: Manipulating Scale . 75 Lyle Dick, “People and Animals in the Arctic: Mediating between Indigenous and Western Knowledge” . 76 Liza Piper, “Colloquial Meteorology” . 102 R. W. Sandwell, “History as Experiment: Microhistory and Environmental History” . 124 Section IV: Learning by Looking . 139 Colin M. Coates, “Seeing and Not Seeing: Landscape Art as a Historical Source”. 140 Catriona Mortimer-Sandilands, “Finding Emily”. 158 Section V: Finding the Nation in Nature . 181 John F. Varty, “Trust in Bread and Bologna: Promoting Prairie Wheat in the Twentieth Century”. 182 Alan MacEachern, “Lost in Shipping: Canadian National Parks and the International Donation of Wildlife” .
    [Show full text]
  • Postmodernism and Historiography
    Durham E-Theses 'How warped the mirrors': postmodernism and historiography Olson, Ryan Scott How to cite: Olson, Ryan Scott (2002) 'How warped the mirrors': postmodernism and historiography, Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/3971/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk 'How Warped the Mirrors' Postmodernism and Historiography Ryan Scott Olson The copyright of this thesis rests with the author. No quotation from it should be published without his prior written consent and information derived from it should be acknowledged. 2 1 JAN 200~l Submitted for the Master of Arts degree University of Durham Department of Theology 2002 The Copyright of this thesis rests with the author. No quotation of its contents should be published without his prior written consent and information derived from it should be acknowledged.
    [Show full text]
  • Rationality and History
    Rationality and History By Georg G. Iggers (Lecture which he gave at East China Normal University, 2007) I The past two decades have seen a lively theoretical discussion internationally on how history is to be written and at the same time a conscious reorientation in the writing of history itself. The term "postmodernism" has at times been applied to the new theoretical outlook and the new historiography.1 The discussion has raised certain very fundamental questions regarding the nature of historical inquiry similar to those which have been asked regarding other forms of intellectual activity. These questions have revolved around the assumptions which have underlain historical writing - and philosophical thought - since the beginning of the Western tradition of secular history. There were two assumptions which were central to this tradition from Herodotus and Thucydides to the very recent past, namely, that there is a distinction, even if not necessarily an absolute dividing line, between fact and fiction, and similarly that there is a difference between rational thought and free imagination, even if the two may intersect In dealing with the problems of reality and rationality raised in those segments of recent philosophic thought which have identified themselves as post-modern or deconstructionist,2 this article proceeds from the assumption, rejected by this thought, that a historical text must be understood with reference to the context to which it refers and that this context contains an element of objectivity not fully identical with the subjectivity of the historian and an element of rationality which presumes elements of intersubjectivity in the methods of historical inquiry.
    [Show full text]
  • Facebook: a Source for Microhistory? 2016
    Repositorium für die Medienwissenschaft Mechtild Stock Facebook: A Source for Microhistory? 2016 https://doi.org/10.25969/mediarep/11954 Veröffentlichungsversion / published version Sammelbandbeitrag / collection article Empfohlene Zitierung / Suggested Citation: Stock, Mechtild: Facebook: A Source for Microhistory?. In: Kathrin Knautz, Katsiaryna S. Baran (Hg.): Facets of Facebook: Use and Users. Berlin: de Gruyter 2016, S. 210–240. DOI: https://doi.org/10.25969/mediarep/11954. Nutzungsbedingungen: Terms of use: Dieser Text wird unter einer Creative Commons - This document is made available under a creative commons - Namensnennung - Nicht kommerziell - Keine Bearbeitungen 4.0 Attribution - Non Commercial - No Derivatives 4.0 License. For Lizenz zur Verfügung gestellt. Nähere Auskünfte zu dieser Lizenz more information see: finden Sie hier: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0 Mechtild Stock Chapter 8. Facebook: A Source for Microhistory? Abstract: In this chapter, we discuss whether social networking services (SNSs), especially Facebook, are sources for microhistory. It can be shown that SNSs indeed form a valuable source for historical science. Due to the huge amount of data content in SNSs, the greatest problem the researcher faces is being over- whelmed with unmanageably large datasets. We propose to structure the data- sets by applying informetrics and statistical methods as a means of producing a quantitative history. We do this by working with a single case study, Kerpener und Ex-Kerpener. This Facebook group addresses Kerpen (a small town in Germany) as well as its historical development. The aim of this moderated group is to preserve historical images and videos and to make them publicly accessible.
    [Show full text]
  • On the Essence of History
    ISSN 2039-2117 (online) Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences Vol 6 No 6 S5 ISSN 2039-9340 (print) MCSER Publishing, Rome-Italy December 2015 On the Essence of History Alexey Malinov Department of Russian philosophy, St. Petersburg State University, 7/9 Universitetskaja naberezhnaja Sankt-Peterburg, 199178, Russia; [email protected] Doi:10.5901/mjss.2015.v6n6s5p223 Abstract The purpose of the article is to consider the specificity, or essence of history in its relation to the other sciences, both to the Humanities and natural science. History studies society and human being in the past and in the process of development. It exists on the joint of the past and the present; it connects ontological reality of a fact with the interpretative potential of contemporariness. History gives the opportunity to find sense in the sequence of facts and in the kaleidoscope of events. However, the past is mediated with a historical source, which is always loaded with sense, i.e. preinterpreted. History constitutes the new senses on this basis and by means of interpretation. Thus, the result of the historical research consists in the senses and meanings expressed in a specific way – in the narrative. Keywords: history, sense, society, development, reconstruction, narration 1. Introduction The answer to the question “What is history?” is the most fully understood through history itself. The definition of history can lack versatility, while the history of history shows the essence of history itself in the most adequate way. The object of studying history is society and man not only in their material but in spiritual displays as well.
    [Show full text]
  • Chapter 3 Primary Sources
    CHAPTER 3 PRIMARY SOURCES CHAPTER 3 _____________________________________________________________________ PRIMARY SOURCES _____________________________________________________________________ The variety of historical evidence is nearly infinite. M. Bloch, The Historian’s Craft, (Manchester University Press, 1954), p.66. Rather than just relying on second-hand accounts of events historians consider that it is essential to use material contemporary to the events they are studying - primary material - to reconstruct the past for themselves. Primary sources are fundamental to history, but they are often fragmentary, ambiguous and difficult to analyse and interpret. Identifying, locating, accessing and understanding primary sources is much more complex than dealing with secondary sources. There are many different types of primary sources and diverse opinions exist among historians as to the validity and relative weight to be accorded to each of them. Some branches of history rely heavily on one or two types of source, while others are more eclectic in their approach. Debates arise as a result of different interpretations of the same primary sources, and are fuelled by the discovery of new evidence. Primary sources are open to multiple interpretations; you should not assume that any group of historians will agree about the meaning of historical evidence simply because they have all seen the same manuscripts or looked at the same set of photographs. This chapter provides an introduction to three important skills relating to the use of primary sources by historians; locating, assessing and linking primary sources. A fourth vital skill, the actual writing of historical accounts based on primary sources, is addressed in Chapter 7 of this book. LOCATING PRIMARY SOURCES _____________________________________________________________________ While it is relatively easy to locate and get hold of secondary sources through the use of library catalogues, electronic searches and Inter-Library Loans, there can be many more difficulties involved with primary sources.
    [Show full text]
  • Download It Immediately to Google Drive and Record an Entry for the Image in a Corresponding Spreadsheet
    HISTORIANS’ EXPERIENCES USING DIGITIZED ARCHIVAL PHOTOGRAPHS AS EVIDENCE Alexandra M. Chassanoff A dissertation submitted to the faculty of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the School Information and Library Science. Chapel Hill 2016 Approved by: Christopher A. Lee Sandra Hughes-Hassell Matthew Kirschenbaum Ryan Shaw Helen Tibbo ©2016 Alexandra M. Chassanoff ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ii ABSTRACT Alexandra M. Chassanoff: Historians’ Experiences Using Digitized Archival Photographs as Evidence (Under the direction of Christopher A. Lee) Widespread digitization has presented scholars with unprecedented access to archival sources. In particular, the availability of archival photographs through online collections has been championed as an opportunity to fill in underrepresented histories absent from archival collections. Yet the degree to which scholars are using digital visual sources, and how they are using them, is relatively unexplored in the literature. In part, this can be attributed to the difficulties of modeling visual information use; no empirical models currently link scholarly interpretive practices to how scholars actually use visual materials. This dissertation sought to address these gaps in the literature by examining the experiences of one group – self-identified historians using digitized archival photographs as evidence in their scholarly activities. This study uses an embedded case study approach to explore how and why historians use images in the construction of their arguments. Fifteen participants were recruited during the spring and summer of 2015. I conducted semi-structured interviews with each participant, eliciting descriptions about their image practices and specific experiences related to image use.
    [Show full text]
  • The Postmodern Condition: a Report on Knowledge
    The Postlllodern Condition: A Report on Kno-wledge Jean-Fran�ois Lyotard Translation from the French by Geoff Bennington and Brian Massumi Foreword by Fredric Jameson Theory and History of Literature, Volume 10 £P Manchester University Press . .� � orip��?�;� l c.:�-•-"� t3o Thk book wu F �u rt�pport sur I� savoir, copyright© 1979 by Les Editions de Minuit. English translation and Foreword copyright© 1984 by the University of Minnesota. All rights reserved. Published in the United Kingdom by Manchester University Press. Oxford Road Manchester M13 9PL Printed in the United States of America. British LibruyCatalopaing in Publication Data Lyotard, jean-Fran�is The postmodem condition- (Theory and history of literature) 1. Knowledge, Theory of I. Title 11. La condition postmodeme. English Ill. Series 001 Z361 ISBN 0·7190-1454-9 ISBN o-7 1 90-1450-6 pbk. "Answering the Question : "What Is Postmodemism?" appears in this book counesy of the University of Wisconsin Press (English translation of this essay by Regis Durand copyright© 1983 by University of Wisconsin Press; the essay appears in lhab Hassan and Sally Hassan , eds., lnno11ation/R�no11ation !Madison: University of Wisconsin Press,198 3) ) and counesy of jean Piel, editor of Critiqu�. where the essay originally appeared as "Reponse a Ia question: qu'est-ce que le postmodc:rnc:?" in Critiqu�. number 419 (April 1982). Contents Foreword by Fredric jameson vii Introduction xxiii 1. The Field : Knowledge in Computerized Societies 3 2. The Problem : Legitimation 6 3. The Method: Language Games 9 4. The Nature of the Social Bond: The Modern Alternative 11 S.
    [Show full text]
  • The Form of Historical Knowledge and the Adolescent Conception of It
    DOCUMENT RESUME ED 425 097 SO 029 466 AUTHOR Ahonen, Sirkka TITLE The Form of Historical Knowledge and the Adolescent Conception of It. Research Report 80. INSTITUTION Helsinki Univ.,(Finland). Dept. of Teacher Education. ISBN ISBN-951-45-5358-6 ISSN ISSN-0359-4203 PUB DATE 1990-00-00 NOTE 261p. AVAILABLE FROM University of Helsinki, Department of Teacher Education, P.O. Box 38 (Ratakatu 6A), Helsinki 00014, Finland. Helsinki, Finland. PUB TYPE Reports Evaluative (142) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC11 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS *Abstract Reasoning; *Cognitive Development; *Concept Formation; Developmental Stages; Epistemology; Foreign Countries; Fundamental Concepts; History Instruction; Knowledge Representation; *Learning Processes; Thinking Skills IDENTIFIERS *Finland ABSTRACT This study reports on the historical conceptualization among Finnish 12-13 year-olds who were given a projective task to yield historical thinking. The case study examines expressions the subjects used and which were studied qualitatively, using "chunks of meaning" as units of analysis, in regard to both their meaning- content and their cognitive level. The adolescent expressions in the case represented varying meanings, e.g. causalism.as well as intentionalism, which were only partially due to the cognitive level. The study was based on the assumption, appearing in cognitive psychology, that formal concepts in the process of learning may eventually be domain-specific. The concepts constituting the form of historical knowledge were established in theory, through a study of the philosophy of history. "Change" and "cause" were to be the ontological key concepts, and "evidence" and "interpretation" the epistemological key concepts. Due to the nature of historical knowledge, the analysis did not yield stipulative definitions but, instead, dimensions of meaning.
    [Show full text]