Page 63 - Sustainable Cities and Communities Design Handbook

40 Sustainable Cities and Communities Design Handbook

strain of theory from the conventional objectivism philosophy of science in
vogue today. Subjectivism discusses understanding of reality that combines
everyday life in a sociological frame of reference wherein business economics
is viewed as everyday business actions and interactions that can be seen, heard,
recorded, and communicated. In short, this discussion represents a different
philosophical perspective to understanding everyday business economics and
business reality in a more scientific manner.

SUBJECTIVISM PARADIGM: LIFEWORLD PERSPECTIVE AND
SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONISM
The Lifeworld tradition as reflected in subjectivism and everyday life per-
spectives is described by others as an interpretive paradigm, symbolic inter-
actionism, hermeneutic approach, or a qualitative perspective. The tradition
provides a different set of theories and methodologies within which we picture
reality and our conception of science. In short, qualitative economics is a
science in the philosophical tradition of the natural and physical sciences
because it seeks to create understanding, define terms and assumptions, and
use logic and empirical data to draw both conclusions and further verifiable
hypotheses. This process, as seen in modern linguistics, is the basis of a sci-
entific inquiry.
Our discussion deals with how everyday reality and economic science are
understood. Besides discussing the philosophical assumptions and the history
behind the tradition, we also discuss some of the traditions related to our
perspective. They are primarily hermeneutics, philosophical hermeneutics,
sociological phenomenology, and symbolic interactionism.

PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE
Mainstream philosophical traditions that contribute to the understanding of
everyday business realities today are positivist and rationalist traditions,
known as part of the objectivist paradigm. We purposely pay attention to
philosophical arguments that are counter to the current economic paradigm
prevalent in American and European business programs, schools, textbooks,
and administrations. Curiously enough, however, these positivist and ratio-
nalist traditions are not underlying Asian and transitional economies. Nor are
the predominant economic paradigms today used in practice in most
businesses.
Instead, in Asia much of the economic and business traditions are based on
a different paradigm and tradition. However, actual business practices globally
are neither locked into a specific rigid model nor follow one set pattern of
economic actions. In fact, it is this “disconnection” between the everyday of
life of business activity that inspired us to seek different understandings of the
situations that actors’ experience in their daily business lives. We believe that