Epistemological Foundations Research Articles

Epistemological Foundations of Transmarxism

This article outlines the epistemological foundations of transmarxism through a decolonial Marxist humanism taking up groundwork laid in Transgender Marxism (2021) by Nathaniel Dickson as a starting point. The transmarxist critique of alienated life via the continued subjection of trans people to an arbitrary and finite set of external determinations coincides with hi[r]storical materialism and a decolonial humanist critique of racial capitalism. While there are many debates around various forms of humanism, this article takes the position that a decolonial Marxist humanism does not have to put forward a problematically sexist, racist, or anthropocentric understanding of the human to say that there is nothing proper to the human other than impropriety. As argued in the latter half of the article, the historical and conceptual relations binding revolutionary Marxist humanism to the theory and praxis of autonomous queer, trans, and feminist struggles found in the work of Sylvia Wynter, Wages Due Lesbians, and the concept of hi[r]storical materialism are critical to ending colonial capitalist imperialism, fighting fascism, and revealing the limitations of liberal inclusion as a long-term solution to antitrans violence.

A genealogy of Islamophobia in a global critical race framework: religion, whiteness, and controlling rationality

ABSTRACT Contemporary Islamophobia, while pervasive in the West, has now escalated in societies as distinct as China, India, Myanmar, and Israel in the post-9/11 era. Yet, Islamophobia is not something new, with roots from the centuries after Islam’s founding. This study argues that a global-historical framework is necessary to fully understand Islamophobia’s origins and impact. It extends previous global critical race and racism frameworks and their focus on whiteness to include an emphasis on the epistemological and structural foundations of global Islamophobia. Within these foundations, two key elements are forwarded as the basis for a guiding ontology of whiteness: (1) the Enlightenment-era epistemological transition from religious ways of knowing to knowledge based on controlled and controlling rationality; and (2) the institutions built by European conquest. Using this conceptual framework, the study traces a genealogy of Islamophobia to identify five key moments in its development and resurgence.

More accurate less meaningful? Why quality indicators do not unveil the socio-technical practices inscribed into land use maps

Remote sensing plays an important role for modern geography and environmental science. At the same time, it often stands on a weak epistemological foundation. Remote sensing results are mostly treated as strictly objective, context-independent artifacts. This vastly ignores the human practices that led to these results. Thus, remote sensing data are uncritically incorporated into (environmental) policy decision-making processes without understanding exactly how they were generated. Recent research has been critical of this. In a previous study, I showed that the accuracy of land use results can be increased by class aggregation, while the geographic or environmental meaning of the results suffers. I called this provocatively the “more accurate, less meaningful (MALM)” effect and showed that it exists regardless of the technical level of classification. In this study, I discuss the extent to which MALM can be remedied by choosing an appropriate quality indicator. I show that, to the largest extent conceivable, the quality indicator does not and cannot unveil the effects of socio-technical practices, which are materially inscribed into land use maps. Hence, quality indicators are unable to objectivize the effects of practices and values by the researchers. Consequently, they do not solve the MALM problem. On the contrary, I show that the explicit inclusion of geographic knowledge in quality addresses the MALM effect to the largest extent possible. This reinforces my claim that more attention needs to be paid to considering the values and practices behind remote sensing information. I discuss the results in a broad context and argue that and why critical remote sensing based on critical (physical) geography and science-and-technology studies is vital to better incorporate such results into policymaking.

Theories of market selection

AbstractWe provide a survey of the main mechanisms of market selection used in economics. We categorize existing theories into three broad classes—evolutionary selection, reduced form selection, and rational equilibrium—based on their adopted selection mechanisms. Each paradigm is explored in terms of underlying laws of selection, searching for elements of convergence and divergence in epistemological approaches, hypotheses, and results. The comparison of these paradigms reveals convergences in research directions, particularly in replicating empirical patterns related to firm heterogeneity and acknowledging the role of increasing returns. However, these paradigms diverge in key assumptions and results, including emphasis on model outcomes, sources of increasing returns, mechanisms generating firm heterogeneity, and assumptions regarding firm rationality. The discussion highlights that these differences stem from the epistemological foundations of paradigms. The survey contributes to a nuanced understanding of market selection mechanisms within diverse theoretical frameworks, emphasizing both areas of convergence and divergence among them.

Understanding the Epistemic Diversity and Essential Components of the Grounded Theory Method: Empowering Human Resource Development Researchers

This article addresses the challenges faced by HRD researchers in selecting a qualitative approach, particularly Grounded Theory Method (GTM), which is underrepresented in the field. The author discusses the epistemological foundations of the four major GTM versions and outlines the six essential elements. The article emphasizes GTM’s flexible yet structured nature and explains differences among Glaserian, Straussian, Charmazian, and Clarkean methods. It also summarizes common GTM features like concurrent data collection, constant comparison, theoretical sampling, phased coding, memoing, and theoretical saturation. The article concludes by providing suggestions to promote GTM’s adoption and popularization. In essence, this article offers guidelines to assist HRD researchers, especially newcomers or those with limited qualitative research experience, in understanding and effectively using GTM.

Epistemological problems in fact-checking practice: evidence from Indonesia

ABSTRACT The practice of fact-checking by journalists and fact-checking practitioners has become increasingly popular due to political events occurring alongside increasing disinformation. This practice has spread from the United States to Europe, Latin America and, Asia, including in Indonesia. However, the growth of fact-checking institutions has not been accompanied by discussions about their underlying epistemology. This study builds upon critical points raised by Uscinski & Butler (2013) regarding the epistemology of fact-checking, namely the impact of selection and unclear fact-checking criteria. We employ content analysis of publicly available fact-checking articles published by seven existing Indonesian fact-checking organizations. The patterns identified in the content analysis serve as the foundation for the interpretation of the epistemological underpinnings of fact-checking practices. This analysis is further complemented by interviews with informants from all seven organizations. This study also compares the epistemological foundations of journalism-based fact-checking with Civil Society Organization (CSO)-based fact-checking in Indonesia. We found an epistemological dilemma within Indonesian fact-checking, leading to the arbitrary nature of the fact-selection process, thereby posing a potential risk of introducing bias into the fact-checking outcomes. Our hope is that this study will be useful for fact-checking practitioners and media educators to discuss the epistemological aspects of fact-checking practices.

Alternative Epistemologies as Distinguishing Features of Right-Wing and Left-Wing Media in the United States

This study builds on efforts to understand what alternative media are becoming by examining differences in epistemology among them and as compared with mainstream media. We find that alternative media present fewer sources on average and rely more often on unattributed assertions. The source count is particularly low in right-wing alternative media. Furthermore, alternative media outlets are more distant from the sources they do provide than mainstream media are. Thus, alternative media present both less evidence and less proximate evidence in their news texts, offering audiences a shaky epistemological foundation.

Vision, body and interpretation in medical imaging diagnostics.

This article explores the profound impact of visualism and visual perception in the context of medical imaging diagnostics. It emphasizes the intricate interplay among vision, embodiment, subjectivity, language, and historicity within the realm of medical science and technology, with a specific focus on image consciousness. The study delves into the role of subjectivity in perception, facilitating the communication of opacity and historicity to the perceiving individual. Additionally, it scrutinizes the image interpretation process, drawing parallels to text interpretation and highlighting the influence of personal biases and individuality in medical practice. By revisiting Husserl's conceptualization of "image consciousness" and introducing the notion of "image theme", the paper seeks to establish a theoretical framework for making sense of images within the context of technological interpretation. A key objective is to enhance the phenomenology of technology through a systematic analysis of medical imaging diagnosis, contributing to an expanded epistemological foundation for medical practice. The article recognizes that the construction of medical knowledge incorporates subjective elements, especially within a historical context. The interpretation of images involves both instrumental and expert interpretation, with human subjectivity playing a crucial role. The article asserts that human creativity and conscious engagement are indispensable in interpreting all medical images.

The Historicity of Economic Sciences: The Main Epistemological Ruptures

The object of this work is threefold: it consists (a) in explaining and justifying, based on Foucault's concept of episteme, the epistemological foundations from which Classical Economics, Keynesian Economics and Neoclassical Economics were built; (b) in studying the nature of the epistemological ruptures that allow differentiating these schools; and (c) in defining the degree of incommensurability of these different paradigms. In the first part, I will define the main epistemological tools that allow studying the birth and evolution of science. In the second part, I will study the nature of the epistemological ruptures that characterize these evolutions and these different schools.

Hubungan Ilmu Komunikasi dengan Ilmu Lain

The findings of the study demonstrate that, ontologically speaking, Islamic communication science is a branch of da'wah, the science that aims to disseminate genuine and true Islamic knowledge, concepts, and viewpoints. The individualism-conformity, egalitarian-hierarchical, transcendatalism-existentialism, and intuitive rational processes paradigms are then applied by Islamic communication science. Its epistemological foundations are amanah, taqwa, ummah, amar ma'ruf nahi munkar, and monotheism. The techniques employed, especially the bayani, tajribi, burhani, and irfani techniques, still make reference to Islamic epistemology. Additionally, axiologically, Islamic communication science is based on morals and values found in the Qur'an and Hadith. It seeks to advance Islamic communication theory, solve communication issues between people, and serve as a human medium for enhancing self-worth and developing human curiosity about science.

조현병 가족 개입에 관한 지난 30년 국내 연구동향 - 인식론적 지형분석을 중심으로 -

Objectives: This study aimed to conduct a literature review on family interventions for schizophrenia and to propose future directions and implications for research and practice. Methods: The authors searched academic journal articles published from the 1990s to 2023 in Korea and selected a total of 24 studies for analysis. We identified the theoretical perspectives adopted by each study and conducted a systematic review of intervention content and key outcomes. Results: The results revealed that, apart from a few systemic and empowerment-based approaches, the majority of interventions focused on family psychoeducation based on vulnerability-stress theory to reduce family stress and enhance coping skills. In addition, there is a need for a close examination of epistemological foundations and effectiveness to ensure a clear grasp and implementation of family intervention principles. Conclusion: Based on these findings, it's crucial to diversify the options for family intervention from a theoretical standpoint to adequately address the varied needs of families with schizophrenia.

In search of a prerequisite for infant participation in pregnancy: a depth-hermeneutical interpretation of conversations between coming mothers and midwives

Based on the fact that the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) gives the right to participate and be heard in situations that affect their lives to all children, even pre-verbal infants, we have looked for the infant voice in parental narratives about their child. Conversations between 16 mothers and a professional at two stages were videotaped and transcribed. The first conversation between mother and midwife took place in pregnancy and, the second, between mother and health nurse, was completed when the child was about six months old. We wanted to invent a method that could find the voice of pre-verbal children, even before birth, a method capable of registering the child’s impact on us and decoding this influence into common language and practical action. Based on infant research on intersubjectivity and qualitative methodology from psychosocial research, we developed a procedure of depth-hermeneutical interpretation of the parental narratives. In this article we describe the results from the interpretation of the narratives made in pregnancy. Through the procedure of Scenic-Narrative Microanalysis, a very suitable method of depth-hermeneutic group interpretation, we identified three different areas of conflict or tension in the data material: container versus oneness; openness versus narrowness; and control versus curiosity. A description of the epistemological foundations and the research procedures from data collection to interpretation will be given. The results from the second round of interpretation will be analysed and compared with the results from the pregnancy narratives, and published in a future article.

Neoclassical realism in international relations theory: Searching for its own path

Neoclassical realism emerged as part of the neorealists’ response to the criticism of their core theoretical provisions, intended to adapt the latter to the challenges of post-bipolar international relations. However, with further elucidation and formalization of the key ideas and premises of neoclassical realism it started to assert itself as an independent research approach, and even more so, as a special, metasynthetic theory. In order to assess the validity of these claims and, in general, to better understand the place of neoclassical realism in the theory of international relations, this paper considers it within the context of the evolutionary logic of the realist paradigm and neorealism, in particular. The first section identifies the origins and main theoretical provisions of neoclassical realism. The second section covers modern theoretical debates on the essence of and prospects for further development of analytical and methodological aspects of this approach. In order to provide a better understanding of the epistemological potential of the neoclassical realism, the third section examines empirical researches carried out within its framework. The author concludes that at the moment neoclassical realism can hardly qualify for the status of an independent theoretical position, let alone a meta-theory. It is more appropriate to consider it as a peculiar form, specific research model within the framework of the (neo)realist paradigm. As such, it allows putting forward verifiable hypotheses based on the analysis of the relationships between the independent, dependent and interfering variables, and also opens up new opportunities for conducting empirical research on a wide range of subject matters. At the same time, there is still a lot of work to be done to overcome the eclecticism inherent to neoclassical realism and to better define its ontological, epistemological and methodological foundations.

Lizzie’s Insistent Rejection to Her Unconscious Desires in Christina Rossetti’s Goblin Market through the Lens of Lacanian Desires

The growing concern in the latest critical practices and processes of a great many scholars as indicated in the continuous development and improvement of literary criticism with respect to the veritable and valuable characterization of this poem Goblin Market (1862) has been shown for the essential and evident exploration of the feasible solutions to the problems as most women character have to be faced with in an unavoidable fashion in Victorian age due to their blind adaptation to the ideological and epistemological values emphasized in the continuation of Christian beliefs regarding the essential and crucial morality to be followed in the increasing enrichment and improvement of their rationalist mentality. However, it has seemed to be quite pitiful that they have failed to probe into the unconscious minds of the vivid characters depicted in this poem to lay an ideological and epistemological foundation for the apparent clarification of the strong will of this character Lizzie has developed to enable her to get free from the imprisonment or enslavement of the hegemonic desires carried in the harmful fruits of the goblin men she and her sister Laura has encountered in their lives. For the sake of this critical blind spot, this paper will explore Lizzie’s strong will used to protect the purity and piety of her unconscious desires and to reduce to the least the possibility for her to fall victim to the vicious desires those goblin men aim to impress and impose upon her mind indebted to the rich theoretical enlightenment and encouragement entailed in Lacanian desires related to the conceptual elaboration of the longing for wholeness, sanity, and, meaning in the rich lives of his analysands. In the long run, this exploration will remind more and more readers of the objective truth that the strong willingness of women as exemplified in what has happened to Lizzie is bound to give rise to their great successes in rejecting their unconscious desires triggered in the popularization of the vicious desires of polluted men like those of the goblin men in this poem as epitomized in the developmental inclined with which the marketization and capitalization of the communicative activities related to the commercialization and commodification of the harmful and sinful fruits peddled in goblin market.

The Development and Manifestations of Fallibilism in the Epistemology of Descartes and Hume

The landscape of the modern Western philosophy, particularly within the domain of epistemological inquiry, has been profoundly influenced by the seminal contributions of the encyclopedic thinkers: the French philosopher René Descartes (1596-1650) and the Scottish philosopher David Hume (1711-1776). Their perspectives have redefined numerous epistemological challenges inherent to both philosophy and science, laying the groundwork for the advancement of novel conceptual and methodological frameworks to address these challenges. Despite the marked differences between their epistemological frameworks, the philosophies of Descartes and Hume share several significant points of convergence that are particularly relevant to general fallibilism. For Descartes, the path to effective knowledge and the apprehension of truth is primarily forged through reason, emphasizing the understanding and application of its most fundamental principles and laws. Conversely, Hume posits that the foundation of epistemology rests upon experience and direct observation.

The Epistemological Foundations of Jihad Based on the Theory of Human Nature by Ayatollah Shahabadi

The Epistemological Foundations of Jihad Based on the Theory of Human Nature by Ayatollah Shahabadi

Eğitim Yönetiminin Epistemolojik Temelleri Bağlamında Bilgi Sorunsalı

Definitions related to Educational Knowledge are made through its elements. There are three elements of knowledge: the knowing mind as the knowing subject, the thing that is the subject or object of knowledge, and the product event thing that arises from the relationship between the knowing mind and the thing that is the subject. Dec. Therefore, information can be defined in three different ways. The first Decription is made through the product/thing arising from the relationship between the one who knows the information and the known thing. This type of identification can be called a three-element or conditional understanding of information. The second type of identification deals with information through the knowing state of mind. This definition can be called the understanding of knowledge as a process of intellectual development. The third type of definitions examines information through what is its subject. This definition of knowledge can also be called the understanding of knowledge, which defines knowledge with its object (Cevizci, 2015). The definition of knowledge adopted by the researcher actually reflects how he treats information and how he makes sense of reality. For this reason, it is necessary to study the approaches related to information definitions in detail. It would be appropriate to express the definitions for information more clearly with examples. According to the understanding of knowledge as the process of intellectual development, knowledge is the process of development of consciousness and the study of this process. In this aspect, it is subject to some classifications. Accordingly, the knowledge at the lowest level is called prediction (eikasia), and the one at the highest level is called true, eternal-eternal knowledge (episteme). The subject of epistemology is the study of the transition of consciousness from one state to a higher state. His understanding of knowledge is based on the historical development of knowledge. Based on this, it is possible to state that knowledge does not actually have a stationary structure, but rather has a developmental feature. Therefore, it may be more useful for researchers and practitioners to know which class is included in the knowledge acquired and produced in educational management research. The Problem of Knowledge in the Context of its epistemological foundations. Key Words: Educational Management, Knowledge, Epistemology, Epistemological Foundations

ARCHAIC KNOSSOS, ARCHAEOLOGICAL NARRATIVES, AND CONSERVATISM IN CRETAN MATERIAL CULTURE

This study addresses a longstanding historical and archaeological problem at the central Cretan urban centre of Knossos. This is the so-called ‘Archaic gap’, an apparent dearth of evidence for sixth-century BCE material culture across the extensively excavated city. The concept of a pronounced Knossian decline or recession at this time has been reaffirmed in recent years, with widespread repercussions for Cretan archaeology. By reconsidering ceramics from the Royal Road North and Unexplored Mansion excavations, as well as situating these deposits within their urban and regional contexts, I question the epistemological foundations of the Knossian gap and provide new directions for identifying sixth-century Knossian material culture. I propose that the apparent ‘gap’ is a product of several factors: (1) a relative disinterest in imports in sixth-century Knossos, (2) a dispersed, rather than densely nucleated, urban settlement pattern, and (3) a previously unrecognised conservatism in Knossian ceramics, where some of the ‘Orientalising’ styles traditionally dated to the seventh century were retained into the sixth. This phenomenon of conservatism differs in important ways from the ‘restraint’ or ‘austerity’ that has been previously proposed as characteristic of Archaic and Classical Crete.

Didactic model for the development of mathematical thinking in naval engineering students in Colombia

The learning-teaching process in math is fundamental for navy engineering students, where specific subjects have a strong theoretical foundation in basic sciences, more concise in mathematics related areas. This research has the objective to construct a didactical model based in context problem solving, modeling and mathematical visualization for the learning-teaching process of contents from the Ship Stability subject for navy engineering students in the Colombian navy University “Escuela Naval de Cadetes Almirante Padilla (ENAP)”. The work lies in the research-action approach of the qualitative research. Results show the model structure composed of four parts; the first one contains the model principles: the epistemological and didactical foundations and the objectives and goals of the constructed model. The second one is a characterization of the model is described, and the necessity for students. The third one, named, resolutive, has three phases (exploration, resolution, and action), that are subdivided in inter-related components one to another. Finally, the fourth part is a proposal for the practical implementation of the model. The model obtained generates a robust construction of mathematical context for problems related to ship stability in the naval context.

Moving-sensing-feeling bodies clamouring for contact in on-line therapy groups

ABSTRACT The author examines working with groups on-line from a Gestalt therapy perspective, an integrated therapeutic approach. The growing occurrence of the therapeutic group online setting brings the need to reconsider clinical tools to use bodily processes in the therapeutic relationship. This article provides a detailed and nuanced consideration of embodied process on-line and offers a practical and useful framework for clinicians, from a phenomenological, aesthetic and field oriented epistemological ground. In the on-line therapeutic group consideration needs to be given to the way embodied vitality can be engendered as supports for contact between members. Vitality is supported through a renewing of attention to the lived body as a support for spontaneous interactions, yet care is required in the on-line domain as there is a tendency towards disinhibition. The author explores how the relational grail of on-line therapy is an inter-embodied experience. This can be supported by the therapist cultivating an embodied presence, accompanied by an intentional disposition to wander with wonder as a way of surrendering to the unknowing of the virtual between. Such an orientation includes the therapist adopting an embodied hermeneutic phenomenological approach in group work that supports the co-creating of meaning between members in this trans-subjective situation.