Some characterize institutions of higher ed as "ivy towers" where nothing of practical value is taught and advocate for 'practical real-world training'. These folks show a strong bias against theory, but they miss three important points (at least): (1) The value of being generally educated, (2) The value of theory in handling uncertainty, (3) The economic fragility that focusing on training for the needs of the immediate labour market builds in to the future of the market.
#highered #valueofedu
@KnowledgeLeak WRT the social sciences: they assimilate a wide variety of "ways of knowing" and so are epistemologically challenging. As Stephen Kline (ISBN: 0-8047-2409-1) points out, "difficulties of two types have arisen: projections of schemata that belong within one discipline onto domains in which the schemata (or ideas) are either not appropriate or seriously incomplete; and the creation of [system representations] that are seriously incomplete." #interdisciplinary #highered #knowledge
@thelibrarian I agree with you. I think they're so epistemologically challenging that they make us highly vulnerable to confirmation bias. I mean, we're always vulnerable to this, but it's even worse when we can't even agree on what reliable evidence is. I'm not a nihilist, but I think most of us could use a healthy downgrade in the confidence we place in the social sciences.
@KnowledgeLeak yes; their results at least warrant critical examination and reflection. However as with all science all conclusions are provisional, even if fairly reliable and useful in an everyday sense. Furthermore there seems to be an over appropriation of statistical methods, particularly is US science.
@thelibrarian Grasp of theory is absolutely pivotal if you're trying to be great at something. So is having a working knowledge of the thing you're doing.
@thelibrarian I think of theory as giving uncertainty the veneer of certainty. By my lights, theory in the social sciences should be given a high degree of skepticism. I do agree with you about a general education. Students should always be imaginative about possible uses of skills they might develop, preferably learning those that have little domain dependence.