Ken and the members of the xmca list:
A short while back, I realized that there are folks who seem only to "see"
or "hear" one meaning, especially for the first phrase. For them it
appears that when I have used the expression, "making sense" of some
phenomenon, they seem to "hear" me referring to a sort of
assimilative/matching function. In other words, 'making sense' is a form
of checking to see if some experience matches known ideas/experiences and
finding that it does; as in "Does this make sense?" Certainly an active
process, which von Glasersfeld points out should _also_ be recognized as
actively a selective _ignoring_ process as much as it is a selective
noticing process.
Of course, much of the time I have been meaning "constructing meaning" in a
(radical) constructivist sense. Another active process, but one which
tends to result in new meaning rather than a corroboration of previously
existing meanings one might have. These "new" meanings have both personal
and social components and significances. In addition the notion that
'meaning' is in the words of the speaker and carries with/in those words to
the listener; at least to the properly receptive listener, is very strong
in our society and in individual people. These two things being the case,
then I expect that there is much reason to believe that the meaning which
many constructed of what I was saying/writing is not what I had intended.
What this boils down to for me at least is that while both are active
processes, I cannot use these two "phrases" interchangeably without the
strong risk that many will have trouble constructing something similar to
what I mean if I were to continue use the phrases interchangeably.
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Dewey I. Dykstra, Jr. Phone: (208)385-3105
Professor of Physics Dept: (208)385-3775
Department of Physics/SN318 Fax: (208)385-4330
Boise State University dykstrad who-is-at varney.idbsu.edu
1910 University Drive Boise Highlanders
Boise, ID 83725-1570 novice piper
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