Bates

Discussion Questions, Chapter 11

11.1
Interdisciplinary common ground is one or more concepts or assumptions through which
conicting insights or theories can be largely reconciled and subsequently integrated, thus
enabling collaborative communication between disiciplines....a necessary but not sufcient
condition for integration. (322)

11.2
Our everyday perception of facts and events depends on the categories we bring to a certain
situation....[that perception is contingent on] the way our brain subjectively constructs
perceiving, seeing, and acting. (326)

According to Bromme and Clarke, Common ground theory says that "all contributions to the
process of of mutual understanding serve to establish or ascertain and continually
maintain" (comprehend) various and sundry different perspectives. (326) Therefore, the
implications for dealing with conict are described this way:

Adjudicating disciplinary disputes over...meaning... involves closely reading denitions of
concepts and identifying differences in meaning, [then] drawing on the intellectual skills of
philosophy (using abstract thinking to make ne distinctions...) (327)


11.3
Helen Keller's story "provides an example, though imperfect, of how intuition helps achieve
common ground between two persons who have been unable to communicate with each other;"
ie. the intuitive ash of "spilled water to make the sign for water in Keller's hand." (331)

"The example overlooks the fact that one usually has to redene disciplinary concepts in order
to achieve common ground." According to Repko, there was no "redenition" going on between
Anne and Keller. I disagree. In my opinion, there was nothing BUT redenition going on. But
then again, I have a different disciplinary outlook on the philosophy of language than our author.

11.4
"The marriage counselor knows that nothing lasting will be achieved if the parties remain
focused on the issues that divide them, much as the interdisciplinarian knows that common
ground will not be created if the focus remains on the differences between the interdisciplinary
insights." (332). Once again, I disagree with Repko when he says that "the conicting issues
cannot be neatly categorized into disciplinary or theoretical terms." That sounds EXACTLY like
every interdisciplinary problem or research issue that he has used, like every example given!

11.5
The facilitator's role in the ARD meeting is similar to that of the interdisciplinary student who is
attempting to produce an integrative understanding [because]:
each discipline brings it's perspective to the table
each discipline assigns causation based on disciplinary perspectives
the student must allow each viewpoint to be expressed
identify conicts and their sources
encourage points of agreement to surface
(337)


11.6
Creating common ground examples:
some authors reference a concept, other authors do not
Utilize technique of redenition, such that "every discipline has its own vocabulary
expressed as concepts, it is necessary for the interdisciplinarian to create a common
vocabulary to facilitate communication-- that is, to 'get them on the same page.'" (336)
all authors reference a concept, but each uses a different denition
Utilize technique of redenition AND extension, such that the student pays close attention to
how the same concept may have different meanings when used by different disciplines
within the context of the same problem (337)
be alert to how experts from different disciplines use different concepts in their discussion
of the same problem, and cases where different concepts have overlapping meanings
avoid redening terms in such a way that you tacitly favors one discipline over another
some authors explain in theoretical terms, others do not
Utilize the technique of transformation, such that the student "modies concepts or
assumptions that are not merely different but oppositional [thereby] pushing back
assumptions and extending the scope of the theory. " (343)

11.7
The techniques this question calls on are the same as those listed in 11.6.

11.8
"Bal uses the technique of extension to create common vocabulary centered on the verb to
expose to which she connects three nouns: exposition, expose, and exposure." (340) In doing
this, Bal has extended the meaning of the word beyond the domain of the discipline that
originated it and into others.

11.9
"Unable to work with concepts (due to their great diversity, multiple denitions used, conicting
and theoretical opposition, etc) he decided instead to work with assumptions. (341)