Linguistics and socia lsciences in the aspect of integration

(From the book … . )

Every scientific direction, every discipline is open and closed at the same time. In other words integration processes in education and research work are as natural as the processes of differentiation. And it is not surprising. Each science has its subjects (scientists) and objects of research (knowledge). The subjects provide its individuality, identifies it in the range of other sciences, while the object of knowledge inevitably leads to the integration tendencies, because it defines the field that this sphere of knowledge works at.

The number of the spheres of knowledge is naturally limited. And, hence, the sciences often have to “stamp one and the same field”, by building high metalanguage (terminological) fences in order to protect their “purity”. It may happen not only to young, but also to ‘grown-up’ sciences. And the question is not “How firm does the science stand on its own feet?” but “What is the common culture of a particular scientific community? How wide are the values of pluralism spread?”. It is so because culture and values help us to realize the meaning of plurality, and together with it they give understanding that you can ‘lose your face’ (even with the suit of guard and even being on the pedestal) if this plurality is accidental and if chaotic comes. If sciences begin to crowd, fighting for the place under the sun, and form up in the “star parade” deciding which of them is more important, which is the leader, in such a situation scientific losses are inevitable.

Integration is a natural process of growing-up of sciences. A science is developing in breadth (extensively) and in depth (intensively, essentially) in the search of meaning (the research of self-valued singleness) and significance, valency (typological researches), as an applied science (oriented on the subject-object relations, technological aspect) and as a communicative science (oriented on the subject- subject relations, stratification aspect).

In this connection it is appropriate to compare the Russian term “social-humanitarian block of knowledge” and the English term “social science and humanities”. The first term only subordinates humanistics to social-political science, while the second one claims their equality. We think that it is more productive not to subordinate one science to the others, but to coordinate them. Only in this case we will be able to use the potential of each branch of knowledge and to provide their absolute cooperation.

5.5. Let’s analyze in detail the lower part of the clock. Read the definitions of each of 4 terms. Make your comments to these definitions and your expectations: in what can they be helpful .

Term 1. Tasks (steps) – the outline of a step-by-step realization of the goal;

Term 2. Method (also methodology, perspective, theory – everything that predetermines the way we operationalize our research categories) – a choice of a research matrix according to which we choose categories for analysis and methods, techniques, ways of their analysis which we consider proper for our goal realization. There exist 3 groups of methodologies (methods), that is the ones within logical, philosophical, and pure professional thinking. All three can be regarded by researchers as basic matrix:

 3 kinds of methodologies: Within the basic methods, first, the logical ways of thinking are named, such as deduction (from general to particular), induction (from particular to general) and abduction (hypothesis production); Another group of basic matrix represents general philosophic perspectives. Among them there are such research perspectives as positivism (the priority of factual data), interpretativism (the priority of interpretational data), criticism (the priority of attitudinal and evaluative data), postmodernism (the priority of semiotics and semiological data), synergetic perspective or other integrative approaches (for example casual-genetic perspective (the priority of interdisciplinary, synthetic, cluster-type of data); a third group changes the focus of a researcher’s attention from general basic ways of thinking to particular ones (though for the discipline itself the methods of this group are still characterized as basic ones). This group of methods has, which is obvious, a certain time and space limit, while the 1st two ones seem to be relatively profound

Term 3. Topicality – the acceptance of a research project within its own set of approaches (field-object-subject matter-goal-tasks-methods) as necessary for the society within the aspect “here and now”;

Term 4. Significance – the acceptance of a research project within its own set of approaches as necessary for the science, its development and\or its further revision (approaches and\or data verification).

  5.6. Fill in the lower part of the ‘sand clock’ with the real content. Use the same examples which were used by you before. Present the results of you work in Table 3.8. Study our example in Table 3.8.a before you start filling in your table.

Table 3.8a. Our example.

No	Our focus of attention (abstract issues)	Real content (particular information on each abstract issue)
1	Field	Humanities, communication, intellect, practical study
2	Object	Object is complex and involves several layers (levels): a language one (mastering vocabulary, grammar etc), a speech one (text production), a social one (cultural, professional, interactive), a situational one (different types of context)
3	Subjеct-matter	Narrowed to particular topics (…), themes (…), skills (…), …
4	Goal	(see your self-assessment list and portfolio)
5	Tasks (steps)	Finding institution, group, consultant, books… (studying as receiving from others); 2. Finding situations when I’ll be thinking in English (public transport,…); writing (diary notes, e-mails); reading (…); listening (news; watching films); studying as a routine part of my day; 3. Finding situations, peoples to communicate in English, visiting English debate club,…; 4. … Plus specifying each of these positions.
6	Methods	Aspect focus: Constant change in focusing (mastering just one at a time: syntax, vocabulary, behavior,…); 2. synthesis in activities (choosing which) – speech behavioral focus; 3. Participation in events – discourse focusing; 4. Visiting the country of the language – plunging (погружение); 5. etc. …
7	Topicality	I need it here and today because …
8	Significance	Somewhere in future I … But anyway now I’ll change myself, train my will…

 5.7. If you want and have time to practice additionally in filling in the table, we propose you our example in Table 3.8b. on practical but non academic activity, such as “Driving a car (I have a car and driving license, but am afraid to start”). Scan our table and fill in your own one on the topic that you start working on in Table 3.7

Table 3.8b.

No.	Focus of attention (abstract issues)	Real content (particular information on each abstract issue)
1	Field	Psychological
2	Object	I in my car in the streets of my town
3	Subjеct-matter	My psychological state (but not only!). My adequate actions while driving my car that involve watching and reacting to signs, cars around, people passing by or across the street …
4	Goal	Driving my car on working days to my working place and back.
5	Tasks	plan my time to cover the direction from home to working place and back, when the traffic is not so high and not many people around (early morning at 6 a.m.) to check road peculiarities, signs, etc. 2. …
6	Methods	Step by step, from easy to difficult, repeating the same route until it’s absolutely clear and automatic behavior.
7	Topicality	I need it now because …
8	Significance	Somewhere in future I … But anyway now I’ll change myself, train my will…

   5.8. Scan the continuation of the research article you read in 5.4. Its second part is presented in the format of a thesis sequence. Have a closer look at the theses formulated and underlined here for you. On the basis of these theses do this task (reading arguments for these theses is optional).

Reconstruct:

• what tasks the researcher solves by placing the theses in this order,

• what is his method(ology) with the help of which he solves the tasks and realizes the goal,

• and whether the topicality and significance of what is discussed in the article is presented in it or not.

Present the result of your work in Table 3.8.