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Minnesota Studies Volume Paper
Minnesota Studies Volume Paper
Steve Fuller
Center for the Study of Science in Society
Virginia Polytechnic Institute
Blacksburg VA 24061-0247
(1) She might assign tasks to people (or "map" tasks "onto"
people), which involves thinking of the team as a fixed unit
divided into parts (people), each of whom may perform one or
several of the tasks required for solving the problem.
(2) She might assign people to tasks (or "map" people "onto"
tasks), which involves thinking of the problem as a fixed
unit divided into parts (tasks), each of which can be
executed by one or several people in the team.
The subtle difference between (1) and (2) is, in fact, quite
profound, as it marks the moment at which theory-talk and
resource-talk become complementary ways of viewing the same
phenomenon. In (1), the research team itself is seen as setting
the ultimate constraints on problem-solving. In effect, the
scarcity of talent and inclination determines which problems get
solved. Clearly, this is to think about things from an
"externalist" standpoint, one in which the business of
problem-solving itself turns out to be a highly negotiable
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