LIBRARY
GLO 410: Systems Thinking: Chapter 15: Dialectical Methods of Inquiry
This guide for Systems Thinking provides students with links to references from the textbook Systems Concepts in Action in addition to other resources to help develop systemic thinkers.
Dialectical Methods of Inquiry
"Dialectics is the use of opposing viewpoints to gain meaning. It has deep philosophical roots: in Western traditions reaching as far back as Socrates and even to Heraclites; in non-Western traditions to Jain and Vedic philosophies."-Systems Concepts in Action, Chapter 15
eBooks/ Articles
- Dialectical Inquiry in Strategic Planning: A Case of Premature Acceptance?
Cosier, Richard A. 1997. "It is possible that the benefits of strategic assumptions analysis can be realized without this specification—i.e., through a devil's advocate approach." - Systems thinkers
Ramage, Magnus. Shipp, Karen. 2009. Available through the University of South Florida. This biographical history of the field of systems thinking examines the work of thirty of its major thinkers. - Dialectics : a classical approach to inquiry
Rescher, Nicholas. 2007. A relevant addition to the guide, this book examines the philosophical roots of dialectical inquiry.
Video
- Karl Marx - The Dialectic ProcessPhd Debra Marshall provides a description of the Dialectical Method as described by Karl Marx.
Web Resources
- Action Research and Action Learning for Community and Organizational Change
Here you'll find active networks of people interested in participative and action-oriented approaches to facilitation, change, evaluation, and research. - Convergent Interviewing: A Technique for Qualitative Data Collection
Provides a guide to convergent interviewing. "[This form of] interviewing combines some of the features of structured and unstructured interviews, and uses a systematic process to refine the information collected." - MBA Tutorials
Discusses the uses for and advantages of dialectical inquiry.
Examples/ Case Studies
- Devil’s Advocacy and Dialectical Inquiry: Antidotes to Groupthink
Lunenburg, Fred C. 2012. Discusses the use of dialectical methods of inquiry in group problem solving and decision making.