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Vitality and Disorder Thirty Years Later: Reflections Inspired by House (1980)
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| Presenter(s):
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| Melvin Mark, Pennsylvania State University, m5m@psu.edu
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| Abstract:
In 1980, House (1980, p.11) stated, “The current evaluation scene is marked by vitality and disorder.” This talk will reflect some of today’s, and perhaps tomorrow’s disorder. Reflecting on House’s trio of truth, beauty, and justice, some seemingly contradictory observations will be offered, with an attempt at reconciliation. For example, I will review an argument for (a) the potential benefit for social justice from having good answers about the effects of alternative means to achieve desired ends, while also (b) acknowledging the potentially limited reach of such answers in light of contextual limits, plus (c) the possibility of detracting attention from the values-based discussion of ends by emphasizing the evaluation of means. Another topic to be addressed briefly is the complexity of thinking about justice and participation in evaluation when a trans-generational perspective is taken.
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