Answers... & Ambiguity LO6562

PETER COOPER (PCOOPER@sbuniv.edu)
Wed, 10 Apr 1996 08:50:07 CDT

Replying to LO6531 --

This may be an aside but... You comment on (LO6531) ambiguity and its
relationship to education and culture.

While it seems that the link between education and tolerance of ambiguity
is a reasonable one to make, I would suggest that it is not a
unidirectional causal relationship. Tolerance of ambiguity can and is
developed through the learning process but could one also suggest that
learning is, in part, a process of managing ambiguity. The concept of
cognitive dissonance speaks to the issue most eloquently.

If the relationship between culture and ambiguity is also valid, it gives
pause for thought about the impact of culture on the ability to learn and
the structure of the educational system on the ability to learn. Is it
possible that some structures, which attempt to minimize ambiguity are
counterproductive?

Dr. P. A. Cooper
Assistant Professor, Business Administration
Taylor 206
Southwest Baptist University
1600 University Avenue
Bolivar, MO 65613

Ph: 417 326 4564
Fax: 417 326 1887
eMail: pcooper@sbuniv.edu
WWW: http://www.sbuniv.edu/vb/pac.html

-- 

"PETER COOPER" <PCOOPER@sbuniv.edu>

Learning-org -- An Internet Dialog on Learning Organizations For info: <rkarash@karash.com> -or- <http://world.std.com/~lo/>