Teaching Theory as a Tool of Analysis

Bibliographic Data

ID11064792
AuthorsB J Bluth (corresponding author)
Year1975
Volume2
Issue2
Pages147
Publication date1975-04-01
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueTeaching Sociology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0092-055X • E-ISSN: 1939-862X
PublisherSAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.2307/1316868
OpenAlexW2089029816
LanguageEN
Citations received4
References cited12

concepts which no doubt they can say, but which they may or may not understand. The Schematics and Diagrams provide a means for both student and teacher to see the degree of interiorization of the theory the student has made. If there is confusion in the mind of the student, it probably will show up in the attempt to visually represent the theory. In the attempt to transform the abstract ideas into a visual medium, the student can discover how much is really understood and how much is simply rote memorization of words. Many students are surprised to find out that even though they can tell you what a theory says, they are unable to translate what they know into any other level of communication, whether it be examples or visual presentations, without considerable additional thought and reflection. Since it is at the level of thought and reflection that interiorization begins to take place, the Schematics and Diagrams serve the purpose of providing the student with an opportunity really to confront the inner structure of a theory. The Project is a means to thinking, then, and not an end in itself. Repetition of the Schematics or Diagram for each theorist studied is a further means of heightened comparison and contrast, as well as a means of furthering the creative ability to demonstrate a theoretical system as a whole. This assignment, however, has many hidden temptations for the professor, as the students exert tremendous pressure to be relieved of the strain of thinking out the dilemma for themselves. If the professor can be seduced into showing what kind of diagram or depictive medium he or she would create, either before the students' work is due, or worse, after the first project is turned in and before the next one is due, students may tend to copy this format and stop considering the task as a challenge. It is also a temptation to evaluate the Schematics or Diagrams, not on the logical and accurate representation of concepts and their structural relationships, but on style and wonder. Needless to say, the students soon will see if the assignment is to translate theory into a nonverbal representation or to produce some new scintillating style of artistic abandon. This content downloaded from 157.55.39.210 on Sat, 30 Jul 2016 04:09:51 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms [156] TEACHING SOCIOLOGY / APRIL 1975 Schematics and Diagrams, then, are a means of engaging the student in the structure of the theory itself by thinking through it and provide him with a familiarity and interiorization of the system which will be used later as a tool in actual analysis. Thus, the design of the theorist is transferred into an intellectual tool for use by the student

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