Counselling: Logical Positivism and Reflection in Action

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Dear Student,
Hi, and thank you for using BrainMass. The solution below should get you started. In this particular task, you are asking for help in discussing a number of theory-laden concepts in research. As a tip, there was one book that was indispensible to me when I was studying these concepts - "Social Science in Question" by Dr. Mark J. Smith. This book was my bible for mastering social science concepts when I was doing my Master's degree. He was actually one of my professors with the Open University in Milton Keynes, England but his work; published by Sage is a really good resource for students as it explains concepts in an accessible way - even the most complex ones. I think this book is available around the world. For this task, I suggest using this simple outline:

1. Definitions (set out the definitions between the 4 concepts) - 150 words
2. Technical rationality & Reflection in Action (similarities) - 150 words
3. Logical Positivism & Interpretive Epistemologies (similarities) - 150 words
4. Application in counselling & professionalization - 150 words

Just let me know via the feedback section if you need further clarification. You can also use the listed resources to further explore the topic. All the best with your studies.

Concepts in Practice

Terminologies
In social psychology and social science applicable practices, theories and concepts are often defined as paradigms - a framework that dominates how an idea is explored, how a problem is solved and becomes a model of the intellectual foundation that people who share the same framework feel strongly as the dominant position in their field of practice. Smith (2003) writes that a particular paradigm is, "used to designate a school of thought, theoretical perspective or set of problems....the term paradigm is seen as synonymous with a 'model' of a particular aspect of social life." Here, the terms technical rationality, reflective action, logical positivism and interpretive epistemologies are seen as paradigms as they are ways of viewing a social practice (in this case, counseling). Prior to discussing their similarities, let us first define them as follows -

1. Technical rationality - proposed by Marcuse (1964), this paradigm proposes that the rational act of incorporating technological advancement of the times in social life can lead to social change in relation to what will be deemed as normal and rational once that technology is everywhere and has imbedded itself ...