[Note: I apologize in advance for this post's lack of structure; I failed to tie up all the loose ends before reaching a self-imposed 700 word limit. Hopefully, the remaining threads can be weaved into a coherent theme.]
"The plural of anecdote is not data", claimed toxicologist Frank Kotsonis, in attempting to correct sloppy thinking. While Kotsonis has provided a useful aphorism, it can obscure the equally interesting fact that the singular of data is anecdote. Consider, for example, the following two stories.
The first is the shortest work of fiction ever written by Ernest Hemingway:
For sale: baby shoes, never worn.
This powerful story is a marvel of economy. In a mere six words and three punctuation marks, Hemingway is able to convey a sense of tragic loss without ever introducing a single character.
Compare to a story with a similar theme from an anonymous author:
Infant mortality rate: 6.9 deaths per 1,000 live births.
Although it lacks the emotional impact, this too is a model of brevity. Seven words, two numbers, a comma, colon, and two periods are used to express--albeit rather dryly--an important fact about the human condition. Indeed, if Hemingway's story was not fictional, it could be considered a singular instance of the second story; a particular example of a more general phenomenon.
At this point, you may object to the use of the term "story" in reference to a statistic. You may be tempted to repeat back to me Kotsonis' mantra: "The plural of anecdote is not data." But if the singular of data is anecdote and anecdotes are a form of story, then why can't data be a collection of tales, sifted down and pressed together, into a narrative?
In his essay "Social Science as Moral Theology" the late media critic Neil Postman notes "there is a measure of cultural self-delusion in the prevalent belief that psychologists, sociologists, anthropologists, and other moral theologians and doing something different from storytelling."
Postman rejects the very idea that what "social scientist" do should even be considered empirical science. He uses the distinctions made by philosopher Michael Oakeshott between processes (events that are bound by the laws of nature) and practices (events that result from human practices and decisions):
…I believe with Oakeshott that there is an irrevocable difference between a blink and a wink. A blink can be classified as a process, meaning it has physiological causes which can be understood and explained within the context of established postulates and theories; but a wink must be classified as a practice, filled with personal and to some extent unknowable meaning and in any case, quite impossible to explain or predict in terms of causal relations.
Processes ("blinks") and practices ("winks") are easily confused when they use the language of numbers and quantification. As Postman explains, the scientist uses mathematics to assist in uncovering and describing the structure of nature while the social scientist uses quantification merely to give precision to his ideas.
Blogging is often about the "winks", the practices and meanings of human behavior, which makes it a form of storytelling. At its best, blogging can even fill the role that Postman ascribes to social science: contributing to human understanding and decency. Bloggers who want to become deliberate storytellers, therefore, should learn how to incorporate the tools of social science in ways that help them create metaphors, illuminate archetypes, and "tell tales."
What is needed is what Steven Johnson, an author who combines cultural criticism and science journalism, calls the "long zoom", a perspective that shifts back and forth from the macro- to the microcosm. Edward Tufte also advocates such a method which he calls PGP, Particular-General-Particular. As Bill Harris explains,
When communicating complex information, start with a particular example to capture the imagination. Follow up with more general information (this is where you can explore alternatives and do more detailed simulations or analysis). Finish with another particular case to drive the point home and help people remember.
The best bloggers are often the ones who are able to emphasize both the micro/particular (their own personal experience) and the macro/general (statistical trends, polls) in ways that help us better understand ourselves and our society. They are able, pace Postman, "to rediscover the truths of social life; to comment on and criticize the moral behavior of people; and finally, to put forward metaphors, images, and ideas that can help people live with some measure of understanding and dignity."
http://www.evangelicaloutpost.com/mt/mt-trackback.cgi/3595
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Wow! This is great insight into blogging. Thank you very much, Joe, for your great blog, which I discovered while researching how to blog. You are a great inspiration to all bloggers out there.
posted on 05.15.2007 10:05 AM