09 Research Methods

09.1 Theory & Conceptual Framework

Appleby, J., Hunt, L. & Jacob, M. (1994). Telling the truth about history. New York: W.W. Norton. ISBN 0-393-03615-4, 322 pages, $25.00 hardcover.

Reviewed by Rachel Pannabecker, Kauffman Museum, North Newton, KS

Science is dead. History is fiction. Postmodern pronouncements such as these have threatened to unravel the warp of truth and the weft of objectivity from the fabric of scholarly inquiry. In Telling the Truth about History three women historians writing as a unified voice take the long view by placing 1900's discussions about doing history into a dialogue about knowledge that began in the seventeenth century. From these discussions, Appleby, Hunt and Jacob consider two philosophical concerns: increasing skepticism about value-free science and progress as modes for writing history, and the position that cultural relativism has diminished our ability to truly know and to write about the past.
Telling the Truth about History is valuable for non-historians in ITAA because it clearly presents the "clay feet" of science in the 20th century: research based on irrational and often messy thought processes which are contaminated by funding and directing study in the interest of nationalistic governments and military groups. The result of this may be cynicism about science and one reason why so many ITAA historians may be disinterested in theory building and why they may regularly flee efforts to "scientize" their research or even their writing style. Ironically for ITAA historians, this same book links 19th century conception of scientific history to firmly embedded assumption about how we do history: the insistence on primary documents, the use of the omniscient narrator, and the unquestioned belief that we can know the past. Telling the Truth about History also forces us to face the fact that there are those who no longer are as certain as we, of the truth of our history writing.
We have philosophers in ITAA: Gloria Williams, Susan Kaiser, Jean Hamilton, and Marcia Morgado. Through them we have been challenged to question the philosophical assumptions underneath our intellectual work. Yet, while many of us in ITAA, historians and non-historians, know that it is not a "good" thing to be positivists, we are vague about how positivism and indeed science in general have circumscribed our thinking or how our scholarly work will have meaning should we embrace a relativist position.
Thus the value of Telling the Truth about History is that the authors refuse to cling to a privileged position for science at the same time as they refuse to become lost in a personal relativism that nihilistically denies any effort to seek truth. Instead, they offer a rational middle road, which accepts the demise of intellectual absolutism and yet sustains the belief that objective truth can be produced by deeply subjective people. They argue that, in a democracy that fosters freedom of inquiry and critical exchange, practical realism, healthy skepticism and qualified objectivity can lead to reasonable, it partial, truths. The collective pursuit of truth has long been important to textiles and clothing scholars, and is affirmed most explicitly in Critical Linkages, the ITAA monograph published in 1991. Yet support for interdisciplinary research will remain a rhetorical exercise until we seek self-awareness of our philosophical differences regarding the pursuit of truth and objectivity as raised by Appleby, Hunt and Jacobs.

Kaiser, S.B., & Damhorst, M.L. (Ed.) Critical linkages in textiles and clothing: Theory method and practice. ITAA Special Publication #4. Monument, CO: International Textile and Apparel Association, 288 pages, $35.00.

Reviewed by Judy Zaccagnini Flynn, Framingham State College

Critical Linkages is a collection of "Working Papers" from ACPTC conference workshops in 1987 and 1988. The original papers were grouped with responses. Editors Kaiser and Damhorst synthesized and grouped all papers using a meta perspective for textiles and clothing subject matter. Their comments are vital in understanding this work. Five Parts are incorporated into the document. Part I "Textiles and Clothing in Higher Education" includes the foundation for the entire publication and a proposed format for future work. Part V "Theory, Method and Practice" includes in-depth reviews of the papers and suggestions for future development, in far more detail than possible in this newsletter review. I recommend readers begin with Parts I and V.
Since Part V is reviewed of Critical Linkages, this book review of Critical Linkages, this book review is to be in the form of an advertisement. Read it, devour it and react to it. I found it stimulating, forward thinking, and grounded in a common sense of textiles and clothing.
The strength of the publication is that linkages in textiles and clothing are being developed: it is beginning! Part I includes articles by Frey, Rudd, Hawthorne, Hutton and Nagasawa providing the beginning thought for organizing textiles and clothing into a whole or unit. These papers provide the possible process for developing concepts and theories. While they are not all the same, they do work together and are easily adaptable for future development. Of particular interest to all is an understanding of definitions of terms, a general history of textiles and clothing, and the extended bibliographies of the papers.
Part II "Textiles Product Evaluation", Part III "Appearance and Social Realities", and Part IV "Production/Distribution Systems" look at specific parts of the model proposed. The articles are strong in their clarification of concepts, discussion of terminology, review of research method, and formulation of models. The depth of discussion allows for clarification of ideas, development of positions, and the basis for brainstorming and establishment of frameworks for future study and research.
Presentation of original ideas and reviewer reaction as a concept is required for our sorting through what is important in model and theory development and I support more of this. However, the original conceptual papers are difficult to separate from invited and reaction papers. Responses to original papers are inconsistent in their format and what is considered a "reaction" is an area we need to work on for future publications. A recommendation to stop this confusion is to place the word "Reaction" in the title of papers that review original works.
The variety of subject matter, models, and depth needed in a variety of disciplines makes one realize how difficult it is for any one person to be an expert in all the models, theories, classification systems, methods, and disciplines involved in textiles and clothing. This diversity while exciting does point to the need for us to work together in meaningful dialogue and the need to write more about what we are thinking in term of models and theory. If we have concepts, models, and theories that are tested with alternate strategies of methodology and if the results are similar then clearer meanings will be provided. Critical Linkages is a book not to be read once and put aside. It is to be reread, contemplated, discussed and brought to action. Damhorst challenges us to better research and program inquire. The majority of these papers reinforce Damhorst's thoughts. I believe the models and process proposed are also a challenge for better teaching. Those engaged in graduate study, undergraduate and graduate teaching, research, community service, and administration related to textiles and clothing should read Critical Linkages. Selected articles such as those by Lam, Davis and Lennon would be excellent readings and foundations for discussion for undergraduate students.
There are several questions that should be addressed. Where do we go from here? Should authors receive comments about their work? Do you view these articles as representations of models, theories, and classification systems workable for you in your teaching and research? Will they enable us to explain textiles and clothing to students, administration, businesses, industry and other stakeholders? The Subject Matter Clarification Committee's work should be integrated into a second publication as a companion to this publication. Strategic Planning should include future formats at ITAA meetings for members to discuss what linkages were missing, not defined adequately, or in need of further debate. The ITAA Greenbrier meeting has great potential at our fifth anniversary, to expand upon the work begun by these authors. Papers based on concepts, models, theory, research and teaching should continue to be encouraged in CTRJ and special publications.
Finally, the authors and editors should be given recognition for Critical Linkages, which contains vision and items for dialogue related to our future.