[PLAN 300] - Midterm Exam Guide - Comprehensive Notes for the exam (40 pages long!)

• School: University of Waterloo
• Department: Planning
• Course: PLAN300
• Professor: Jennifer Dean

Document Summary

Theory: way to make sense of world around us, uncover truth, guide our action. Way of knowing the world (how to capture that reality/truth(s)) Positivism vs. interpretivism: objective vs. subjective, hard data vs. social activities, measured/collected vs. interpreted, natural = social vs. social unique, broad view vs. narrow vies. Epistemological evolution as a discipline: modernism to postmodernism. Certain problems still lend themselves to different ontological and epistemological approaches. Social world is not generalizable like natural world. Cant be tamed: planners didn"t do what they said they could. Why: we cant solve all these problems, very positivist approach we cant accomplish everything, not all theories actually work in practice. Incrementalism vs. system change: resolution dependant on perceived nature of the problem. Interpreting the problem is social: explanation reflects world views and judgements, planner has no right to be wrong (because too much is at stake, not a scientist who can refute a claim, knowing, expertise and impact matter.