This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Sailor, W. Articles by Paul, J. L. Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

Framing Positive Behavior Support in the Ongoing Discourse Concerning the Politics of Knowledge

University of Kansas, w-sailor{at}ku.edu

James L. Paul

University of South Florida

In this article, the authors examine the contributions of a progressive form of postmodern social theory to raising substantive issues about the politics of knowledge or the factors that govern decision processes regarding the nature of evidence from research. They examine the basis for the reaction against postmodernism that has appeared in the special education literature to date and, in particular, question whether it collectively represents a reasoned defense of the scientific basis for inquiry. The authors call attention to a confusion that occurs in these reactive positions between postmodernism on the one hand and subjectivism (i.e., qualitative research methods) in the production of knowledge on the other, which, like positivism (i.e., empirical methods), is a modern epistemology. They suggest that positive behavior support, because of its inherent pragmatism and multimethod focus on valued outcomes for people with disabilities, may offer a practice-focused forum for more productive conversations about multiple warrants, or justifying reasons, for alternative approaches to inquiry.

Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, Vol. 6, No. 1, 37-49 (2004)
DOI: 10.1177/10983007040060010601


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				W. Sailor, M. J. Stowe, H. Rutherford Turnbull, and P. J. Kleinhammer-Tramill A Case for Adding a Social Behavioral Standard to Standards-Based Education With Schoolwide Positive Behavior Support as Its Basis Remedial and Special Education, December 1, 2007; 28(6): 366 - 376. [Abstract] [PDF]