Hello,
Am I to understand that the government of the most powerful nation on earth
judges anything non-statistical as not scientific?
If that's so - and I find it easy to believe - then it's a deeply worrying
step along the road of (a word I'm just making up as I go along, but it
sounds like a Bushism) "Measurification" - a form of commodification which
implies that if you can't attach a numerical value to something, it doesn't
count....
Goodbye art, poetry, imagination etc.....unless you can use numbers to prove
their worth.....
Regards
Will Krouwel
----- Original Message -----
From: Jayson Seaman <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, March 02, 2004 3:45 PM
Subject: Re: Beware Number Fetishism
> Hello:
> If only it were as easy as determining our preferences toward a particular
methodology, or blend of methodological skills....Educational research in
the US right now is pretty heavily favoring quantitative methodologies,
largely due to the political emphasis on "scientifically proven programs"
from the Bush Department of Education. Therefore those of us embarking on
qualitative inquiries will be facing some political consequences for our
choice (i.e., potentially diminished efficacy, in terms of policy
effect/funding potential).
>
> Another question that would be worth asking is, how can we get
policymakers and funders to value both quantitative and qualitative
approaches? I wish I had an answer--it would be good to hear from folks with
some track record in this respect.
>
> Thanks
> Jayson Seaman
> UNH
>
>
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