Existing and Emerging Methods for Integrating Theories Within and Between Disciplines

Authors

  • Steve Wallis Foundation for the Advancement of Social Theory, Fielding; Capella

Keywords:

Metatheory, Robustness, Critical Integrative Metatheory, Propositional Analysis, Reflexive Dimensional Analysis, Formal Grounded Theory

Abstract

For natural systems or service systems most research may be categorized as inductive or deductive. While these are good for “normal” science, more interesting revolutions in science may occur when a deep thinker considers two theories and seeks to compare, contrast, and combine them. Galileo and Einstein both began with this kind of approach. Because of the paradigmatic revolutions they triggered, we all lead much richer lives. Were they unique in their ability to seek and find new insights from existing theories? Or, is this an approach that we all may use? In this paper, we will investigate multiple methods for integrating theories to determine which ones might be more useful. The results suggest that more rigorous methods provide a more useful and more systemic approach to integrating theories.

Author Biography

Steve Wallis, Foundation for the Advancement of Social Theory, Fielding; Capella

Steven E. Wallis, PhD, is an adjunct faculty member at Capella University where he mainly mentors doctoral candidates through the dissertation process. He is a Fellow at the Institute for Social Innovation at Fielding Graduate University where he received his Ph.D. in 2006. Steve has a decade of experience as an organizational development consultant in Northern California and a broad range of interdisciplinary interests. He has been published in a variety of academic books and journals and is the Director of the Foundation for the Advancement of Social Theory. There, he supports scholars who are working to identify rigorous paths for the validation of theory through a deeper understanding of critical metatheory and metapolicy analysis.

Published

2013-03-10

How to Cite

Wallis, S. (2013). Existing and Emerging Methods for Integrating Theories Within and Between Disciplines. Proceedings of the 56th Annual Meeting of the ISSS - 2012, San Jose, CA, USA. Retrieved from https://journals.isss.org/index.php/proceedings56th/article/view/1943

Issue

Section

Research Toward a General Theory of Systems