PART II
METHODOLOGY
What is methodology?
John Dewey's writings include the idea that one way to understand thinking methodology is to conceive of it as an act of categorization, whether into sets, or types, or varieties, or kinds, or groups, or whatever. Regardless of the particular basis for any specific categorization, the process whereby it is done consists in distinguishing the elements in terms of some aspect or characteristic regarding which they are homologous (equivalent instances), dichotomous (distinctly different), or analogous (somewhat similar).
How does methodology work?
Since categorizing entities is contrived rather than natural, generalizing them as homologous is premised on shared features at a certain level of granularity (size or scale). By the same token, on the basis of other features, entities may be considered as dichotomous, distinctly different, depending on where the boundaries are drawn. There are no ultimate criteria for either generalizing amongst or discriminating between various entities - it all depends upon the purpose for the categorization, and the features chosen as the basis of the sorting. Analogous instances are based on what Wittgenstein called "family resemblance", degrees of similitude, ranging between homology and dichotomy.
There are three scales of categorization: Macro, Meso, and Micro. There are three aspects to similarity: Facade, Performance, and Outcomes. There are three facets to differentiation: Location, Occurence, and Quality. Try them all as the need arises. Whether it’s dividing a pie or assigning people to groups or tasks, we categorize on some basis. Whatever that basis, to render the choices or the decisions clear, it is helpful to make the sorting characteristic(s) explicit, and to rely on those categories consistently throughout a task.
