Paradigm of local knowledge

November 17, 2003

November 18.2003

Dear listmembers,

Ken Rose has thrown a very important , simple-but-complex question to the

discucussion list. His querry was

" What is a CM paradigm? "

First of all , let us dissect this question into two by first

clarifying what is 'paradigm ' and what is 'cm' . Paradigm as defined by the

New Shorter Oxford English Dictionary (Vol 2 ,1993 p. 2093) as

" A mode of viewing the world which underlies the theories and

methodology of science

in a particular period of history. "

The notion of 'paradigm' was also elucidated by Kuhn in his book The

Structure of Scientific Revolution where in he saw the development of

science as a 'revolutionary' process of normal science going out of favour

and then being overtaken by a new mode of science.

'CM' of the otherhand is an achronym for 'Chinese Meldicine'. I also

personally see 'CM' in the same breadth as 'TCM " which is the anachronym for

' traditional Chinese medicine' . I see traditional Chinese medicine (TCM)

as a body of medical knowledge that has emerged and developed over a period

of four millenia . Over these years, it has evolved into and systematized

into a a coherent body of knowledge which includes a method or recognizing

disease phenomena and a variety of therapeutic methods :herbal and food

therapy, acupuncture, tuina, as well as a range of disease preventative

methods like Qigong, Tai Ji Quan , yang sheng or nurturing life.

In doing Chinese medicine , I am guided by the 'paradigm of local

knowledge.' In the first instance,the view that knowledge systems are local

considers practice as the starting point in knowing things. Our knowledge of

things is embedded in our doing, our work and our experiences.

Secondly, in knowing things, we have to establish their contextuality.

Practice and doing things defines the situation or context of how, where

and why they are done.

" situations are the organization of perspective and lived

experiences " (Susan Leigh Star, l989 p.15-16) .

Thirdly, the local context or situations of doing things unifies the

supposed active knower and passive nature into an inseparable but dynamic

whole. Knowing things is not a process of an active knower representing a

passive nature bur rather it involves the forms of life which emerge as we

intervene in nature.

Once a particular method of doing things or seeing things has been

developed in one locality an used sucessfully in dealing with local

contingencies , it becomes " clotted " as as Susan Leigh Star would describe

it and acquire systemacity and 'coherence " . Thereupon, these sets of

practices(with certain modifications to suit another locality) are

transferred and used to deal with another set of contingencies in a

different locality. This process of sucessfully modifying a local set of

practices to deal with another set of contingencies is called the

" plasticity " of a particular knowledge system. This process according to

Joseph Rouse is the " adaptation of one local knoweldge to create another. "

The view which sees knowledge as local and embedded in practice is a

critique of the standard representationalist view in science which upholds

the universalizing role of theory in knowedge production. It puts theorizing

as the main activity of value in knowledge production. That is all knowledge

is a mere abstaction of the objective world. Rouse in emphasizing science as

a field of practice said that " action has its own kind of understanding

which cannot be reduced to theoretical representations. "

I see the practice of bian zheng lun zhi or what we refer to in the CHA

as " pattern differentiation " embodies the paradigm of local knowledge. It

has plasticity, coherence and systemacity. It is a system of knowledge which

is anchored in local conditions. It is a medical practice which emerged and

became systematized from the local health contingencies in ancient China and

then extended in time and space to other locales in China, Japan, Asia,

America and Australia. It is a set of medical practices that " adapt to

different local circumstances to meet the hetorogeneity of the local

requirements of the system .. ..(pasticity) and the capacity... to

incorporate many local circumstances and still retain a recognizable

identity (coherence) [star Susan Leigh l989. p21).

Regards,

Rey Tiquia

November 17, 2003

Rey,

You've just made me very happy that I asked the question last week of " Where's

Rey? " regarding new paradigms of research. This is precisely the discussion I

hoped you would address plus quite a bit more. Sometimes you get what you wish

for. You've grounded and framed the inquiry. This will keep us nourished and

making progress for many months.

In gratitude,

Emmanuel Segmen