Toward a Metatheoretical Integration of Developmental Paradigms

This paper shows how a partial consilience might be achieved in the field of human development by means of principles from general systems theory. The author concurs with Sameroff (1989) that it is possible to interpret the mechanistic, organisimic, and contextualist paradigms/worldviews (Goldhaber,...

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Main Author: Mark W. Antley
Format: Article
Language:deu
Published: ARINA, Inc. 2010-07-01
Series:Integral Review
Subjects:
Online Access:http://integral-review.org/documents/Antley,%20Metatheoretical%20Integration%20Devel%20Paradigms,%20Vol.%206,%20No.%203.pdf
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author Mark W. Antley
author_facet Mark W. Antley
author_sort Mark W. Antley
collection DOAJ
description This paper shows how a partial consilience might be achieved in the field of human development by means of principles from general systems theory. The author concurs with Sameroff (1989) that it is possible to interpret the mechanistic, organisimic, and contextualist paradigms/worldviews (Goldhaber, 2000; Pepper, 1970) in terms of general systems theory. The author selects a major developmentalist from each paradigm and interprets that scholar’s work in terms of systems principles. The following developmentalists were selected: Arnold Sameroff (contextualism), Erik Erickson (organicism), and Albert Bandura (mechanism). The systems principles employed are wholeness and order, self-stabilization, self-reorganization, hierarchical interaction, and dialectical contradiction (Sameroff, 1989). The author addresses the conflicting presuppositions of the major paradigms in order to provide for their theoretical subsuming under systems theory. Finally, the author notes areas of inconsistency that will need to be resolved in the future and calls for further scholarship to translate developmental theory in terms of general systems theory for the benefit of students, scholars, consultants and other practitioners familiar with systems theory.
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spelling doaj.art-6bb67e13dcfd4f45bce4a5db0546e92a2022-12-21T17:50:11ZdeuARINA, Inc.Integral Review1553-30692010-07-0163175189Toward a Metatheoretical Integration of Developmental ParadigmsMark W. AntleyThis paper shows how a partial consilience might be achieved in the field of human development by means of principles from general systems theory. The author concurs with Sameroff (1989) that it is possible to interpret the mechanistic, organisimic, and contextualist paradigms/worldviews (Goldhaber, 2000; Pepper, 1970) in terms of general systems theory. The author selects a major developmentalist from each paradigm and interprets that scholar’s work in terms of systems principles. The following developmentalists were selected: Arnold Sameroff (contextualism), Erik Erickson (organicism), and Albert Bandura (mechanism). The systems principles employed are wholeness and order, self-stabilization, self-reorganization, hierarchical interaction, and dialectical contradiction (Sameroff, 1989). The author addresses the conflicting presuppositions of the major paradigms in order to provide for their theoretical subsuming under systems theory. Finally, the author notes areas of inconsistency that will need to be resolved in the future and calls for further scholarship to translate developmental theory in terms of general systems theory for the benefit of students, scholars, consultants and other practitioners familiar with systems theory.http://integral-review.org/documents/Antley,%20Metatheoretical%20Integration%20Devel%20Paradigms,%20Vol.%206,%20No.%203.pdfContextualismdevelopmental systemsgeneral systems theorymechanismorganicism
spellingShingle Mark W. Antley
Toward a Metatheoretical Integration of Developmental Paradigms
Integral Review
Contextualism
developmental systems
general systems theory
mechanism
organicism
title Toward a Metatheoretical Integration of Developmental Paradigms
title_full Toward a Metatheoretical Integration of Developmental Paradigms
title_fullStr Toward a Metatheoretical Integration of Developmental Paradigms
title_full_unstemmed Toward a Metatheoretical Integration of Developmental Paradigms
title_short Toward a Metatheoretical Integration of Developmental Paradigms
title_sort toward a metatheoretical integration of developmental paradigms
topic Contextualism
developmental systems
general systems theory
mechanism
organicism
url http://integral-review.org/documents/Antley,%20Metatheoretical%20Integration%20Devel%20Paradigms,%20Vol.%206,%20No.%203.pdf
work_keys_str_mv AT markwantley towardametatheoreticalintegrationofdevelopmentalparadigms