CIAO DATE: 06/2010
March 2010
CONfines de Relaciones Internacionales y Ciencia Política
Grammars of action, return of experience and art to solve problems
This article emphasizes the utility, in social sciences, of concepts like “grammar”, “grammar of action” and “grammar of interpretation of a situation” as used in Clausewitz’s work and in The Art of War. Two empirical examples illustrate this subject: the first one is analyzed by the novelist Karl Weick and the second by the expert in military tactics, Lieutenant Colonel Michel Goya. This demonstrates the necessity to use the concept of “grammar” in sociological investigations. If Sociology would like to latter and be like other sciences, sociologist should not be satisfied to establish diagnosis, but should dare prognostics and to help decisions with the assistance of those grammars.
Resource link: Gramáticas de acción, retorno de experiencia y arte para resolver los problemas [PDF] - 450K