Assignment 2: Mid-Term Evaluation and Self-Assessme

EDITORIAL

The Art of Not Knowing Elizabeth C. Pomeroy and Angela M. Nonaka

The only true wisdom is in knowing you know

nothing.

—Socrates

S ince the beginning of the new millennium, the world has been experiencing profound change and uncertainty. The international

order is convulsing socioeconomically and realign- ing geopolitically. This upheaval can lead to a sense of disequilibrium in which widespread concern, anxiety, discomfort, and disillusionment reach viral proportions. All, from local communities to large governments, are being required to work harder with fewer resources.This paradigmatic shift pressures us to alter or abandon established notions of practice and to develop innovative and effective strategies for responding to these changes on micro, mezzo and macro levels. Holistic, nuanced, social scientifi- cally informed approaches to and analyses of these changes and Stressors are vital to successful responses to these social challenges.

The social sciences encompass several distinct intellectual and professional disciplines, including social work and anthropology. Methodological and theoretical differences notwithstanding, these diverse fields share an overarching goal: All seek to understand human beings and their lived experi- ences in the world and, thereby, to improve the human condition by investigating how individuals, group, families, and communities shape their lives within rich cultural backgrounds. Sometimes this is primarily an intellectual enterprise—describing, comparing, and contrasting extant societies to il- luminate the unity and diversity of humankind. In other instances, social scientific research and practice has specific, applied aims—influencing public policy or advocating for clients. In either case, the emphasis on understanding people in context underscores why social scientific knowledge and practices are critical for navigating our changing social world.

The quest for creative solutions to contemporary problems can lead down many paths, some familiar

and others unexplored. Innovation usually occurs gradually, with established knowledge or policies and existing tools or techniques being refined and altered incrementally. Discovery, however, can and does happen suddenly. Whether pursued proactively by choice or reactively by necessity, this mode of change involves significant alteration, or even abandonment, of existing theories and favored methods.

"Thinking outside the box" requires letting go, maintaining an open mind, and embracing the unknown .Yet it is often because of fear of the un- known, and the attendant fear of being (deemed) unknowledgeable, that we chng to the status quo in our fields of endeavor. Like knowledge and ig- norance, knowing and not knowing typically are defined antithetically. Understood in this way, not knowing is interpreted as a threat to competency. This relationship, however, can be understood less dualistically. More resonant with certain Eastern phi- losophies is the "art of not knowing," which is a great opportunity for insight, growth, and development. The power of this way of thinking is exemplified in the following examples.

Sign languages have existed since time imme- morial, although for most of human history they were stigmatized as an inferior form of gestural communication.That changed in 1960, when Wil- liam Stokoe, a professor at Gallaudet University, proposed the then radical claim that sign languages were full-fledged languages on a par with spoken ones. Until then, the perceived absence of phonology (the building-block system of sounds in a language) had prevented recognition of sign languages as ac- tual languages. Stokoe, however, observed that sign languages indeed had manually expressed sublexical units analogous to phonemes (the units of sounds from which w ôrds are built).

A prime example of the art of not knowing, Stokoe's insight was significant for several reasons. First, keep in mind that he was not a linguist but a professor of English, an expert on Chaucerian-era literature. Nevertheless, he came to his realization

CCC Code: 0037-8046/11 $3.00 ©2011 National Association of Social Workers 293

because he was teaching deaf students and noticed that the errors in their writing were systematic, not random. Whereas other teachers simply attributed those errors to hearing loss and, by extension, lin- guistic impairment, Stokoe noticed error patterning more consistent with those of nonnative English speakers. This spurred him to scientifically study American Sign Language (ASL).Eventual recogni- tion of ASL as a real language, in turn, opened up an entirely new field of study called "sign language linguistics." This new area of linguistics spread from the United States to other countries, dispelling the myth of sign language universality. Finally, scientific linguistic acknowledgment of sign languages as ac- tual languages allowed for rethinking of the identity of deaf people as linguistic minorities versus simply hearing-impaired people.

Another example of the significance of not know- ing is the story of Nobel laureates Barry Marshall and Robin Warren, two Australian physicians and researchers who revolutionized the treatment of peptic ulcers by demonstrating that the cause of this condition was a bacterial infection. It had long been a tenet of biomedicine that ulcers were caused by stress and indigestion, and all treatments proceeded from that assumption. In asserting their new etiology of peptic ulcers, the two men encountered signifi- cant opposition and resistance to their claims. For several years, their attempts to publish and deliver academic presentations were often stymied. Even after appearing in prestigious, peer-revie\ved medical journals, their work was still viewed skeptically. Not to be dissuaded from their cause, one of the doctors went so far as to use himself as a medical guinea pig to show that peptic ulcers were indeed caused by a particular strain of bacteria. In taking this calculated risk, these physicians proved that ulcers could be effectively treated with antibiotics, thereby revolu- tionizing patient treatment of this illness.

Clearly, in both of these examples, indefatigable professionals, who were experts in their fields, began the process of discovery by embracing the unknown and assuming the position of not know- ing. Building on their respective competencies and expertise, they were confident enough to take the extra step of suspending what they knew, which opened the space for new investigations. Had they based their work solely on existing knowledge and assumptions, both popular and professional, in all likelihood their discoveries never would have been made or the outcomes would have been entirely

different. The keystone of their success was the art of not knowing.

Although these internationally acclaimed ex- amples have changed the lives of millions of people, we have encountered many everyday instances that underscore the importance of exercising the skill of not knowing. As social scientists, we have found that one of the greatest roadblocks to discovery and understanding is a tendency to place answers before questions. For example, in our roles as academic mentors, at times students have come to the table with a research proposal having already decided what the answer and conclusion to the research question will be. One former student wanted to test the effec- tiveness of an intervention that he "knew" had a posi- tive outcome. Although his supervisor pointed out the inherent personal bias in his research question, the student maintained that he could be objective despite his certainty in the outcome of the research project. After long discussions about the possibility of alternative outcomes, the student still adhered to the notion that he knew that the intervention "worked." When the supervisor steadfastly refused to let the student pursue this biased research agenda, the student angrily submitted a different proposal. Had the student been able to remain open-minded and test the intervention with an objective attitude, he could have conducted his original project without prejudice. In this situation, he clearly had not yet learned the art of not knowing.

Moving from research to clinical practice, both experienced and inexperienced practitioners can make the mistake of assuming that they know how to help a chent before fully understanding the client's situation and perspective. For example, one recent graduate obtained a position as a child and family counselor at a mental health center. She interviewed a six-year-old girl who had been referred by the school while the girl's' parents were interviewed by another practitioner. The girl talked nonstop while tossing every toy into the middle of the floor, and she never stopped moving for the entire session. Her concentration was poor and her attention span fleeting. After the session, this novice practitioner quickly concluded that this client had an attention-deficit disorder, but then she talked to the coworker who had interviewed the girl's parents. Her coworker discovered that, two weeks earlier, the girl's aunt had been in a serious car accident in which the aunt and her three-year-old niece had been killed. Furthermore, the three-year-old girl

294 Social Work VOLUME 56, NUMBER 4 OCTOBER 2011

had died in the lap of her sister—the only survivor of the crash. Suddenly, this new practitioner realized that her initial assessment was probably wrong, and her certainty in understanding the problem waned. In addition, she recognized that she had assumed she knew more than she actually did of this young girl's unique circumstances.

In both of these cases, had they practiced the art of not knowing, the student and the practitioner might have come to quite different conclusions. Often, the admission of "not knowing" the answer to a problem is equated with incompetence. In the highly competitive, information-driven society in which we live, being "right"—having the correct answer to the question or the instant solution to the problem—has become synonymous with intel- ligence and status.The flaw in this mode of thinking is that by initially assuming that we already know the answer, we overlook or fail to grasp the deeper, richer, and more accurate picture of the issue at hand. The stance of not knowing may open the door to the development of new and innovative perspectives, solutions, and discoveries that might otherwise remain buried beneath the status quo of existing knowledge.

In this issue, readers will find an interesting and informative assortment of articles in which the authors have exercised the skill of not knowing. From an innovative study on conducting research with people with disabilities to social work practice addressing the spiritual needs of clients in health care settings and the stress of mental health practitioners working with suicidal clients, this impressive array of studies uses culturaUy responsive methods for exam- ining important social work issues. New perspectives on research issues, such as design-based practice and policies regarding juvenile probation, are also examined through new sets of lenses that call social workers to action on behalf of children, clients, and workers. It is our hope that these articles will serve as an inspiration and a reminder to use the wisdom of not knowing in research and practice. SUS

REFERENCE Stokoe,W. C. (1960). Sign language structure:An outline

of the visual communication systems of the American dea/'(Studies in Linguistics: Occasional Paper No. 8). BufFalo: University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Department of Anthropology and Linguistics.

Elizabeth C. Pomeroy, PhD, LCSH^ACSH^isprofessor and codirector of the Institute for Grief, Loss, and Family Survival,

School of Social Work, University of Texas at Austin. Angela

M. Nonaka, PhD, is assistant professor, Department of Anthro-

pology, University of Texas at Austin. Address correspondence

to Elizabeth C. Pomeroy, School of Social Work, University of

Texas at Austin, 1 University Station D3500, Austin, TX

78746; e-mail: [email protected].

NASW PRESS POLICY ON ETHICAL BEHAVIOR

The NASW Press expects authors to ad-here to ethical standards for scholarship as articulated in the NASW Code of Ethia and Writing for the NASW Press: Information for Authors. These standards include actions such as

• taking responsibility and credit only for work they have actually performed

• honestly acknowledging the work of others

• submitting only original work to journals

• fuUy documenting their own and others' related work.

If possible breaches of ethical standards have been identified at the review or publication process, the NASW Press may notify the au- thor and bring the ethics issue to the attention of the appropriate professional body or other authority. Peer review confidentiality will not apply where there is evidence of plagiarism.

As reviewed and revised by NASW National Committee on Inquiry (NCOI), May 30,1997

Approved by NASW Board of Directors, September 1997

POMEROY AND NONAKA / The Art of Not Knowing 295