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Value-laden knowledge and holistic thinking in agricultural research

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  • Donald Vietor
  • Harry Cralle

Abstract

Critics have challenged agricultural scientists to address concerns for environmental quality, farm size and structure, international justice, and the health and welfare of consumers and farm labor in research planning. The goal of this research was to determine what is and what could be done to consider value-laden knowledge relevant to these concerns in research planning. Descriptions of a state agricultural experiment station and of a hierarchy of inquiry that included applied systems analysis and reductionist approaches to science revealed the goal-seeking and expert-centered nature of agricultural research. Value-laden and value-free knowledge of agricultural scientists and administrators were heavily represented in broad research goals such as increased productivity and efficiency. In addition, these goals were not evaluated at the levels of inquiry typically practiced by agricultural scientists. A soft systems methodology provided a more holistic level of inquiry that could facilitate consideration of value-laden and value-free knowledge of world views more diverse than those of agricultural scientists and administrators. Scientists could function as co-learners with other participants to identify issues and to conceptualize systems that are relevant to improving research planning. Moreover, researching the practice of soft systems offers opportunities for exploring systems ideas and holistic value theory in relation to agricultural research. Copyright Kluwer Academic Publishers 1992

Suggested Citation

  • Donald Vietor & Harry Cralle, 1992. "Value-laden knowledge and holistic thinking in agricultural research," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 9(3), pages 44-57, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:agrhuv:v:9:y:1992:i:3:p:44-57
    DOI: 10.1007/BF02217920
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Philip Shepard, 1984. "Moral conflict in agriculture: Conquest or moral coevolution?," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 1(4), pages 17-25, September.
    2. Paul Thompson, 1988. "Ethical dilemmas in agriculture: The need for recognition and resolution," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 5(4), pages 4-15, September.
    3. Jeffrey Burkhardt, 1988. "Biotechnology, ethics, and the structure of agriculture," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 5(3), pages 53-60, June.
    4. Glenn Johnson, 1990. "Ethical dilemmas posed by recent and prospective developments with respect to agricultural research," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 7(3), pages 23-35, June.
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