Document: ALL-3-330-185

High quality narratives that link humans and ecosystems: Why ecological orthodoxy tells a lower quality story.

ALLEN, T.F.H.* and J.C.PIRES

University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706 USA ¹

Abstract:
When the material system is cast as a simple system, everyone agrees as to what is structure vs behavior, discrete vs continuous, qualitative vs quantitative, linguistic and meaningful vs blindly dynamic. In simple systems, objectivity is as good a myth as any, and mechanistic orthodoxy is adequate to the task of telling the simple story. When humans are included, their contradictory values and judgements invite constant redefinition of the situation. Each observer and discussant must then decide on boundaries between meaningful structure and blind dynamics. At that point the myth of objectivity causes communication between the narrator and the audience to fail. High quality in science comes from both the dynamic and static quality of its narratives. Static quality is the accuracy, precision and replicability, so crucial to meticulous normal science. On the other hand, dynamic quality comes from decisions that change meaning by redefining discrete structure to make a qualitative difference in what is ascribed significant. The narrative must at once be faithful to data , while also prying open new perspectives through challenges to the knowledge and beliefs. The scientist who would be objective merely offers drops of data from an ocean of possibilities, and so is intellectually marginal to the useful product. Take courage, and decide what is significant, or be reduced to a servile calibrator once humans enter ecology. Modelers, dare to change your models fundamentally and often. Lab and field workers, always exert opinion before you measure, and so make your results matter by changing the facts significantly, as the best empiricists do already.

Keywords: static,dynamic,quality,structure

This abstract is being presented at: 2:30 PM in session:
Symposium # 24: Re-thinking the "and" in Humans and Nature: Ecology at the Boundary of Human Systems.