GETTING TO THE ABSTRACT

 

To this point, this blog, through a series of postings,[1] has developed an argument that promotes a basic change to social studies, particularly civics.  That is, that that portion of a school curriculum should focus its efforts on the social realities of students’ local communities.  This would counter the ever-increasing levels of individualism and self-centeredness that have affected the nation and led to a good deal of dysfunctional elements within the American society such as polarized politics.

          The last posting, “Localize It,”[2] indicated that this posting would, as an example, describe a construct, nativist theories, offered by Jerome Bruner.  Those theories state that the mind “is inherently or innately shaped by a set of underlying categories, hypotheses, forms of organizing experiences.”[3]

          In other words, instruction should not be so concerned, as pedagogues have encouraged classroom teachers to be, with teaching inductive skills, such as with inquiry models of instruction based on the scientific method.  One should recognize that the mind already operates in such a fashion as to approximate that process.  What is needed are experiences that further the student to feel and appreciate the function of disciplinary knowledge.  This idea is original with John Dewey in his promotion of “occupations” for elementary students.[4]

          More specifically, community-based activities and skills at the secondary level can act as a continuance of Dewey’s aim and as a bridge from the elementary school efforts to the goals of higher education and adult communal life.  The ultimate aim is for students to more centrally view their local environs as the natural setting where political realities come to bear on their welfare and that of their neighbors.

          Cognitive processes used for pedagogical purposes should not be limited by scientific logic and concern.  To advance the social action skills (introduced in the last posting) and the communal agenda described above, relevant cognitive skills should be based on a continuum because different students act on different levels of abstraction when it comes to schoolwork or life in general.

          It is believed by this blogger, based on his years of teaching and as a parent, that children operate at all levels of abstraction even at the earliest grades.[5]  The problem lies in applying abstract thinking to sophisticated and to some degree foreign cognitive substance or content.  A continuum is needed by teachers to devise activities that are both suitable for their students and functional for handling the issues, problems, or other situations a teacher chooses to study.

          One such continuum is suggested by an argumentation model, offered by Stephen Toulmin.[6]  To see a summary account of Toulmin’s model, see this blogger book, Toward a Federated Nation, in its subsection, “Toulmin’s Elements of a Logical Argument.”[7]  But for those not so disposed, here is a thumbnail summary.  A logical argument contains:

 

•   a datum statement (e.g., since Daniel is a union laborer),
•   a claim (e.g., therefore, Daniel is a registered Democratic voter),
•   a warrant statement (e.g., because organized labor has a strong partisan allegiance for the Democratic Party),
•   a backing or data statement (e.g., union workers vote Democratic at a 51% rate as voter choices are documented by studies such as that offered by research outfits such as PRO Morning Consult),
•  a qualifier (e.g., unless Daniel is among 23% who vote Republican or otherwise), and
•  a rebuttal, (e.g., Daniel is not a union laborer or even human – perhaps a dog)

 

The distinction here, simplistic but illustrative, between these elements and the inductive, scientific processes that were prominent among progressive educators, is that generalization formation – such as a scientific finding – is not the end or goal.  The end is to have students generate knowledge useful in solving issues or problems and dealing with community sources.

          If devised and used correctly, such a continuum or taxonomy can assist students in overcoming their apparent inability or reluctance to think abstractly.  The purpose is to have students deal with it at an appropriate level.  Then the lesson allows the students to work toward resolution in their natural fashion of problem-solving.  The next posting will review a taxonomy this blogger has devised using Toulmin’s model to further illustrate what this blog is promoting.

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[1] This series of postings begins with the posting, “Early On.”  See Robert Gutierrez, “Early On,” Gravitas:  A Voice for Civics, February 13, 2024, accessed March 10, 2024, URL:  https://gravitascivics.blogspot.com/2024_02_11_archive.html.

[2] Robert Gutierrez, “Localize It,” Gravitas:  A Voice for Civics, March 8, 2024, accessed March 10, 2024, URL:  https://gravitascivics.blogspot.com/2024_03_03_archive.html.

[3] Jerome Bruner, “Models of the Learner,” Educational Researcher, June/July 1985, 5-8, 6.

[4] Herbert M. Kliebard, The Struggle for the American Curriculum:  1893-1958 (New York, NY:  Routledge, 1986).

[5] For example, a form or type of abstract thinking is hypothesizing.  See “Hypothesizing:  How Toddlers Use Scientific Thinking to Learn,” Baby Sparks/Cognitive, June 9, 2020, accessed March 9, 2024, URL:  https://babysparks.com/2020/06/09/hypothesizing-how-toddlers-use-scientific-thinking-to-learn/.

[6] Stephen Toulmin, The Uses of Argument (New York, NY:  Cambridge University Press, 1958.  For a summary review of the Toulmin’s model, see this blogger’s book,

[7] Robert Gutierrez, Toward a Federated Nation:  Implementing National Civics Standards (Tallahassee, FL:  Gravitas/Civics Books, 2020).  Available through Amazon and other booksellers.  The referred to subsection begins on page 86.