Constructive dialogue, disruptive criticism and the complex dynamics of academic life

Abstract

In her article ‘Issues of narrowness and staticity in ISLA’, Han presents a radical criticism of previous ISLA research, listing a number of faults and limitations that can be ascribed to a narrow and static view on the phenomena of interest. In this reply, I argue that many of these accusations are unwarranted and that they exacerbate academic debate rather than promoting constructive dialogue among different approaches. Han’s proposal for a ‘new way’ of doing research is inspired by some polemical versions of Complex Dynamic System Theory, which easily dismiss the contribution of other methodologies while remaining rather vague on the level of concrete solutions. It is argued that every approach is to some extent reductionist, that narrowness and staticity are inevitable, and that instead of being the target of violent reproach they should become the object of rational discussions about when, what and to what degree one should simplify.