Theory Borrowing
09 / 19 / 2014
In interdisciplinary perspective, Theory Borrowing is an essential issue in which interdisciplinarians borrow a theory from a particular discipline to use in another to explain a different phenomenon. This process is important; however, it has its own downsides. Inappropriate borrowing “may result in substantial problems for the research program” (Murray and Evers 647). A theory that is valid in a certain discipline may NOT necessarily be so in others.
Before borrowing a theory in a certain discipline and employing it into another discipline, we should first deconstruct the theory structure itself. “Theories consist of a superstructure and substructure.” (Murray and Evers 652) The superstructure is concerned with the intuitive propositions that we find in the phenomenal level, while the substructure is “the type of science that justifies the theory and the social context (interests, values, sentiments, and significant events)” (Murray and Evers 652). It is the superstructure of theory that is usually evaluated, not the substructure. (Murray and Evers 652). When borrowing a theory, we should pay attention to its superstructure and substructure, and this is not always an easy task because “theory structures cannot be borrowed intact since, by definition, theory borrowing involves a change in social context” (Murray and Evers 652). Most of the theories that are borrowed from one discipline for use in another are inaccurately borrowed. It is their superstructures that are borrowed the most. This is what is called inappropriate borrowing, which usually leads to inaccurate results in the discipline that it is utilized. For instance, the artistic technique collage that was developed by the Spanish painter Picasso has been used in literature as well. The French poet Guillaume Apollinaire and even the British American poet T.S. Eliot have both used the so-called collage technique in some of their poems. For example, “they allowed overheard snatches of dialogue to enter the space of a poem, and reworked slang and argotic expressions of everyday encounters into the texture of their prose and verse” (Rodrigues and Garratt 39). This technique was later called the collage poem. Although the collage technique was very creative in painting, it was strongly criticized in poetry. Art critics criticized using such technique in literature because it destroyed the shape and structure of the literary language. It distorted the beauty of language when used in poetry and in other forms of literature. This was because the poets borrowed the superstructure of collage technique without being aware of its substructure, which is the type of science that already produced this technique. In other words, they ignored or did not consider the artistic context of collage technique. Therefore, they fell into the trap of inappropriate borrowing.
With that being said, it is worth mentioning that sometimes a theory that is borrowed to use in a new discipline becomes more effective than what it was in its original discipline. The author Chris Rodrigues in his book Introducing Modernism says that “the method of so-called "stream of consciousness" employed by Dorothy Richardson (1873-1957) in her sprawling 13-volume novel Pilgrimage (1915-38) and by James Joyce in the iconic Ulysses (1922) is, to some degree, indebted to Freudian ideas about the way in which the unconscious mind yokes together disparate images and feelings” (Rodrigues and Garratt 81). He also adds "Stream of consciousness exposes the deep self of a character - what Virginia Woolf celebrated as "the dark places of psychology". It has now become a commonplace feature in novel-writing” (Rodrigues and Garratt 81). Although that the Freudian Psychoanalysis was later refuted by the new psychoanalysis theories, the type of writing stream of consciousness remained very effective and creative in literature till present. As a result, it became a new context that refreshed the original theory as Murray says in his essay Theory Borrowing and Reflectivity in Interdisciplinary Fields. Murray argues “the new context may refresh the theory, changing it in meaningful and creative ways. A theory that failed on evaluative criteria in one context may be successful in another” (Murray and Evers 652-653).
In the end, Interdisciplinarians should be careful when borrowing theory, method, or concept from a specific discipline for use in another. They should be aware of their superstructure (the intuitive propositions that exist on the phenomenal level) and substructure (the type of science that justifies the theory and the social context that involves interests, values, sentiments, and significant events) before borrowing (Murray and Evers 652). Any mis-borrowing could lead to inaccurate results, although sometimes could refresh the borrowed theory and make it more effective within the new discipline.
Works Cited
Murray, Jeff B and Deborah J Evers. Theory Borrowing and Reflectivity in Interdisciplinary Fields. University of Arkansas: Advances in Consumer Research, 1989. Print.
Rodrigues, Chris, Chris Garratt, and Richard Appignanesi. Introducing Modernism. Cambridge: Icon, 2001. Print.
Back to the articles page
09 / 19 / 2014
In interdisciplinary perspective, Theory Borrowing is an essential issue in which interdisciplinarians borrow a theory from a particular discipline to use in another to explain a different phenomenon. This process is important; however, it has its own downsides. Inappropriate borrowing “may result in substantial problems for the research program” (Murray and Evers 647). A theory that is valid in a certain discipline may NOT necessarily be so in others.
Before borrowing a theory in a certain discipline and employing it into another discipline, we should first deconstruct the theory structure itself. “Theories consist of a superstructure and substructure.” (Murray and Evers 652) The superstructure is concerned with the intuitive propositions that we find in the phenomenal level, while the substructure is “the type of science that justifies the theory and the social context (interests, values, sentiments, and significant events)” (Murray and Evers 652). It is the superstructure of theory that is usually evaluated, not the substructure. (Murray and Evers 652). When borrowing a theory, we should pay attention to its superstructure and substructure, and this is not always an easy task because “theory structures cannot be borrowed intact since, by definition, theory borrowing involves a change in social context” (Murray and Evers 652). Most of the theories that are borrowed from one discipline for use in another are inaccurately borrowed. It is their superstructures that are borrowed the most. This is what is called inappropriate borrowing, which usually leads to inaccurate results in the discipline that it is utilized. For instance, the artistic technique collage that was developed by the Spanish painter Picasso has been used in literature as well. The French poet Guillaume Apollinaire and even the British American poet T.S. Eliot have both used the so-called collage technique in some of their poems. For example, “they allowed overheard snatches of dialogue to enter the space of a poem, and reworked slang and argotic expressions of everyday encounters into the texture of their prose and verse” (Rodrigues and Garratt 39). This technique was later called the collage poem. Although the collage technique was very creative in painting, it was strongly criticized in poetry. Art critics criticized using such technique in literature because it destroyed the shape and structure of the literary language. It distorted the beauty of language when used in poetry and in other forms of literature. This was because the poets borrowed the superstructure of collage technique without being aware of its substructure, which is the type of science that already produced this technique. In other words, they ignored or did not consider the artistic context of collage technique. Therefore, they fell into the trap of inappropriate borrowing.
With that being said, it is worth mentioning that sometimes a theory that is borrowed to use in a new discipline becomes more effective than what it was in its original discipline. The author Chris Rodrigues in his book Introducing Modernism says that “the method of so-called "stream of consciousness" employed by Dorothy Richardson (1873-1957) in her sprawling 13-volume novel Pilgrimage (1915-38) and by James Joyce in the iconic Ulysses (1922) is, to some degree, indebted to Freudian ideas about the way in which the unconscious mind yokes together disparate images and feelings” (Rodrigues and Garratt 81). He also adds "Stream of consciousness exposes the deep self of a character - what Virginia Woolf celebrated as "the dark places of psychology". It has now become a commonplace feature in novel-writing” (Rodrigues and Garratt 81). Although that the Freudian Psychoanalysis was later refuted by the new psychoanalysis theories, the type of writing stream of consciousness remained very effective and creative in literature till present. As a result, it became a new context that refreshed the original theory as Murray says in his essay Theory Borrowing and Reflectivity in Interdisciplinary Fields. Murray argues “the new context may refresh the theory, changing it in meaningful and creative ways. A theory that failed on evaluative criteria in one context may be successful in another” (Murray and Evers 652-653).
In the end, Interdisciplinarians should be careful when borrowing theory, method, or concept from a specific discipline for use in another. They should be aware of their superstructure (the intuitive propositions that exist on the phenomenal level) and substructure (the type of science that justifies the theory and the social context that involves interests, values, sentiments, and significant events) before borrowing (Murray and Evers 652). Any mis-borrowing could lead to inaccurate results, although sometimes could refresh the borrowed theory and make it more effective within the new discipline.
Works Cited
Murray, Jeff B and Deborah J Evers. Theory Borrowing and Reflectivity in Interdisciplinary Fields. University of Arkansas: Advances in Consumer Research, 1989. Print.
Rodrigues, Chris, Chris Garratt, and Richard Appignanesi. Introducing Modernism. Cambridge: Icon, 2001. Print.
Back to the articles page