Comments for Exploring Interdisciplinarity http://dlindagarcia.com The blog of D. Linda Garcia, PhD Tue, 06 Jan 2009 00:15:44 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 Comment on Over the River and Through the Woods by Linda http://dlindagarcia.com/2008/11/over-the-river-and-through-the-woods/#comment-108 Linda Fri, 05 Dec 2008 00:14:38 +0000 http://dlindagarcia.com/?p=2117#comment-108 Bethany, Oh so nice to hear from you, and to know we share not only only the love of thanksgiving but the same blog template. You daughter is exquisite, but of course!!! Linda Bethany, Oh so nice to hear from you, and to know we share not only only the love of thanksgiving but the same blog template. You daughter is exquisite, but of course!!! Linda

]]> Comment on Over the River and Through the Woods by Bethany http://dlindagarcia.com/2008/11/over-the-river-and-through-the-woods/#comment-106 Bethany Thu, 04 Dec 2008 19:19:17 +0000 http://dlindagarcia.com/?p=2117#comment-106 I love that song--in fact, I used to think it was written about ME because we always drove over a river and through woods to get to my grandmother's house at Thanksgiving and Christmas. It sounds like you had a very relaxing Thanksgiving--the perfect kind of holiday. P.S. I think we use the same blog template! Although I've been horribly busy lately and haven't updated mine in, oh, forever. I love that song–in fact, I used to think it was written about ME because we always drove over a river and through woods to get to my grandmother’s house at Thanksgiving and Christmas.

It sounds like you had a very relaxing Thanksgiving–the perfect kind of holiday.

P.S. I think we use the same blog template! Although I’ve been horribly busy lately and haven’t updated mine in, oh, forever.

]]> Comment on The Longue Durée (The Long Time Span) by Linda http://dlindagarcia.com/2008/10/the-longue-duree-the-long-time-span/#comment-90 Linda Sun, 30 Nov 2008 15:44:44 +0000 http://dlindagarcia.com/?p=1700#comment-90 Thanks for your response. I too don't want government to renounce public policy. In fact, at its best, policy doesn't presume specific entrenched solutions, but rather is entails continual feedback and reevaluation. Happy Thanksgiving. Linda Thanks for your response. I too don’t want government to renounce public policy. In fact, at its best, policy doesn’t presume specific entrenched solutions, but rather is entails continual feedback and reevaluation.

Happy Thanksgiving. Linda

]]> Comment on The Longue Durée (The Long Time Span) by Charles Beatty http://dlindagarcia.com/2008/10/the-longue-duree-the-long-time-span/#comment-89 Charles Beatty Sun, 30 Nov 2008 12:34:15 +0000 http://dlindagarcia.com/?p=1700#comment-89 Thanks for this thoughtful post. I can certainly appreciate a historical perspective, especially a long durée perspective, regarding the financial crisis. However, I'm not sure I remain convinced that public and fiscal policy may not play a major role. Cycles of boom and bust are within the normal course of events in a capitalist society, however, attenuating those cycles also has some historical roots, though more recent. I must agree, however, that Greenspan naivete is rather stunning. Thanks for this thoughtful post. I can certainly appreciate a historical perspective, especially a long durée perspective, regarding the financial crisis. However, I’m not sure I remain convinced that public and fiscal policy may not play a major role. Cycles of boom and bust are within the normal course of events in a capitalist society, however, attenuating those cycles also has some historical roots, though more recent. I must agree, however, that Greenspan naivete is rather stunning.

]]> Comment on The University and Its Future by Linda http://dlindagarcia.com/2008/11/the-university-and-its-future/#comment-42 Linda Sun, 16 Nov 2008 22:52:27 +0000 http://dlindagarcia.com/?p=1954#comment-42 Hi Kevin. In response to your question, perhaps I did not describe Storper's discussion deeply enough. Let me begin by where he is coming from. He positions his argument in the context of the discussion between institutional theorists and social capital theorists. Institutional theorists take individuals as their units of analysis. They argue that although institutions (formal laws and norms) provide "rules of the game", the focus on individuals and self interest fails to take into account the need for collective action. The authors argue that community groups, which are rich in social capital and cooperative norms are not antagonistic to institutions, but they constrain individuals to act to some extent on behalf of public goals. Although communities (which I equate with university collaborative groups) foster collective action, but they are subject to being taken over by the influential and powerful few. Institutions, (which I equate with the university administration ) can serve to counter the possibility of such a thing happening. So we need both--institutions and communities, laws and informal groups. I am still working on developing these ideas, so I am grateful for you inputs. PS. I like the name of your blog. Linda Hi Kevin. In response to your question, perhaps I did not describe Storper’s discussion deeply enough. Let me begin by where he is coming from. He positions his argument in the context of the discussion between institutional theorists and social capital theorists. Institutional theorists take individuals as their units of analysis. They argue that although institutions (formal laws and norms) provide “rules of the game”, the focus on individuals and self interest fails to take into account the need for collective action. The authors argue that community groups, which are rich in social capital and cooperative norms are not antagonistic to institutions, but they constrain individuals to act to some extent on behalf of public goals. Although communities (which I equate with university collaborative groups) foster collective action, but they are subject to being taken over by the influential and powerful few. Institutions, (which I equate with the university administration ) can serve to counter the possibility of such a thing happening. So we need both–institutions and communities, laws and informal groups. I am still working on developing these ideas, so I am grateful for you inputs.

PS. I like the name of your blog. Linda

]]> Comment on The University and Its Future by Kevin Donovan http://dlindagarcia.com/2008/11/the-university-and-its-future/#comment-41 Kevin Donovan Sun, 16 Nov 2008 21:07:06 +0000 http://dlindagarcia.com/?p=1954#comment-41 I guess that is the second level question I sort of ignored: once individual entities of the University are effectively designed institutions, how do you bring together those bodies. I'm out on a limb here, having only read Sunstein, but does Storper address the strengths/weaknesses of autonomy? If CCT can effectively redesign itself due to autonomy, are they too disconnected from the community and its norms to be part of a larger effective deliberation? Also, as a thought, open access might be an interesting case study for this - it's a fairly radical change in University norms that, at Harvard, for example, required both outside pressure and inside motivation. I guess that is the second level question I sort of ignored: once individual entities of the University are effectively designed institutions, how do you bring together those bodies.

I’m out on a limb here, having only read Sunstein, but does Storper address the strengths/weaknesses of autonomy? If CCT can effectively redesign itself due to autonomy, are they too disconnected from the community and its norms to be part of a larger effective deliberation?

Also, as a thought, open access might be an interesting case study for this - it’s a fairly radical change in University norms that, at Harvard, for example, required both outside pressure and inside motivation.

]]> Comment on The University and Its Future by Linda http://dlindagarcia.com/2008/11/the-university-and-its-future/#comment-40 Linda Sun, 16 Nov 2008 20:23:40 +0000 http://dlindagarcia.com/?p=1954#comment-40 Thanks for you comment Kevin. You are right that departments and programs operate individually throughout the university, which offers considerable flexibility. But that creates a university-wide problem of assuring that all of these entities operate in such a way so as to assure the conditions for effective deliberation. What Storper argues, is that communities (and I would say include university-type deliberative bodies) are subject to collective action and take over problems; social institutions, which are built around norms and formal laws (and which I would equate to university administrations) can serve to create the environment and incentives that can foster effective deliberation. Thanks for you comment Kevin. You are right that departments and programs operate individually throughout the university, which offers considerable flexibility. But that creates a university-wide problem of assuring that all of these entities operate in such a way so as to assure the conditions for effective deliberation. What Storper argues, is that communities (and I would say include university-type deliberative bodies) are subject to collective action and take over problems; social institutions, which are built around norms and formal laws (and which I would equate to university administrations) can serve to create the environment and incentives that can foster effective deliberation.

]]> Comment on The University and Its Future by Kevin Donovan http://dlindagarcia.com/2008/11/the-university-and-its-future/#comment-38 Kevin Donovan Sun, 16 Nov 2008 19:29:50 +0000 http://dlindagarcia.com/?p=1954#comment-38 Regarding the hierarchy of universities, perhaps it makes sense to think about the University not as a whole, but as many parts. For example, the fact that your CCT program can autonomously make decisions demonstrates, at least in part, that individual departments/programs/offices at Georgetown could organize so as best to address the concerns of Sunstein. If CCT (along with other institutions within Georgetown) is open, diverse and allocates power accurately, deliberative processes should return better results. Regarding the hierarchy of universities, perhaps it makes sense to think about the University not as a whole, but as many parts. For example, the fact that your CCT program can autonomously make decisions demonstrates, at least in part, that individual departments/programs/offices at Georgetown could organize so as best to address the concerns of Sunstein. If CCT (along with other institutions within Georgetown) is open, diverse and allocates power accurately, deliberative processes should return better results.

]]> Comment on One Size Doesn’t Fit! by Linda http://dlindagarcia.com/2008/10/one-size-doesnt-fit/#comment-28 Linda Wed, 22 Oct 2008 19:07:42 +0000 http://dlindagarcia.com/?p=1596#comment-28 Thanks for the information. It looks very useful. Linda Thanks for the information. It looks very useful. Linda

]]> Comment on One Size Doesn’t Fit! by concerned citizen http://dlindagarcia.com/2008/10/one-size-doesnt-fit/#comment-27 concerned citizen Wed, 22 Oct 2008 15:29:57 +0000 http://dlindagarcia.com/?p=1596#comment-27 In view of the financial crisis gripping US today, and consequently the rest of the world, and also as a rebuttal to Friedman's "Flat" world book, I found a small, but interesting book, by Aronica and Ramdoo, "The World is Flat? A Critical Analysis of Thomas Friedman's New York Times Bestseller," which offers a counterperspective to Friedman's theory on globalization. Interestingly enough, the book written about two years back, discusses in the following chapters, "Debt and Financialization of America" "America"s Former Middle Class" "A Paradigm Shift for America" with prescriptions for the future the debt ridden American society, deregulated financial institutions, mortgage crisis and other related issues, with clear pointers to the economic crisis gripping US today. For more information regarding the same, check this out: mkpress.com/FlatExcerpts.pdf This is a small book compared to the 600 page tome by Friedman, and aimed at the common man and students alike. As popular as the book may be, some reviewers assert that by what it leaves out, Friedman's book is dangerous. The authors point to the fact that there isn't a single table or data footnote in Friedman's entire book. "Globalization is the greatest reorganization of the world since the Industrial Revolution," says Aronica. You may want to see www.mkpress.com/flat and watch www.mkpress.com/flatoverview.html for an interesting counterperspective on Friedman's "The World is Flat". Also a really interesting 6 min wake-up call: Shift Happens! www.mkpress.com/ShiftExtreme.html There is also a companion book listed: Extreme Competition: Innovation and the Great 21st Century Business Reformation www.mkpress.com/extreme http://www.mkpress.com/Extreme11minWMV In view of the financial crisis gripping US today, and consequently the rest of the world, and also as a rebuttal to Friedman’s “Flat” world book, I found a small, but interesting book, by Aronica and Ramdoo, “The World is Flat? A Critical Analysis of Thomas Friedman’s New York Times Bestseller,” which offers a counterperspective to Friedman’s theory on globalization.

Interestingly enough, the book written about two years back, discusses in the following chapters,
“Debt and Financialization of America”
“America”s Former Middle Class”
“A Paradigm Shift for America” with prescriptions for the future

the debt ridden American society, deregulated financial institutions, mortgage crisis and other related issues, with clear pointers to the economic crisis gripping US today. For more information regarding the same, check this out: mkpress.com/FlatExcerpts.pdf

This is a small book compared to the 600 page tome by Friedman, and aimed at the common man and students alike. As popular as the book may be, some reviewers assert that by what it leaves out, Friedman’s book is dangerous. The authors point to the fact that there isn’t a single table or data footnote in Friedman’s entire book.

“Globalization is the greatest reorganization of the world since the Industrial Revolution,” says Aronica.

You may want to see http://www.mkpress.com/flat
and watch http://www.mkpress.com/flatoverview.html
for an interesting counterperspective on Friedman’s
“The World is Flat”.

Also a really interesting 6 min wake-up call: Shift Happens! http://www.mkpress.com/ShiftExtreme.html

There is also a companion book listed: Extreme Competition: Innovation and the Great 21st Century Business Reformation
http://www.mkpress.com/extreme
http://www.mkpress.com/Extreme11minWMV

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