Search results for "Grand theory"
showing 3 items of 3 documents
An overview of the concepts of change and development - from the premodern to modern era
2012
This chapter focuses on the concepts of change and progress: on one hand, it approaches this topic from the point of view of the history of science; on the other hand, from the point of view of modern developmental psychology. The section on the history of science focuses on the historical period of the pre-modern Hellenistic era to the Enlightenment. This period is long, and it therefore includes several, different world views and cultural trends. In this chapter culturally significant trends of thought within the PtolemaicAristotelic tradition are described.The section on the modern developmental psychology approach analyses the following questions: (1) which characteristics must changes …
Updating the Philosophy of Middle-Range Theories : Implications for IS
2018
Merton’s concepts of middle-range theories (MRTs) and grand theories (GTs) are widely mentioned in information systems (IS) theorizing literature. On one hand, numerous IS authors claim that MRTs are common in IS or that design science theories are MRTs. On the other hand, others report that too much focus is placed on GTs (instead of MRTs) in IS. Moreover, MRTs and GTs have acquired a normative role in IS. Given such disagreements and the normative role of MRTs and GTs, there is a need to examine what Merton’s GT and MRT are. The aim of this paper is to start such a discussion by providing an interpretation of Merton’s GT and MRT. We contest many IS views on Merton. We also suggest that Me…
Binds of Professionalism: Attachment in Australian and Finnish Early Years Policy
2016
Attachment theory is often referenced in psychology, social work and early childhood care and education, and is ubiquitous in popular publications directed to parents, carers and educators of young children. It is considered as a ‘grand theory’ that explains “the growth of social relationships from infants’ experiences with their caregivers and the consequent social preference called attachment” (Mercer, 2011, p. 26). In this chapter, we understand attachment theory as a discourse and as part of the ‘psy-complex’, “the sprawling speculative and regulative network of theories and practices that constitute psychology” (Parker, 2002, p. 199). We focus on the operation of ‘attachment discourses…