A RUMOR OF PARADIGM SHIFT IN THE FIELD OF CHILDRENS EMOTIONAL AND BEHAVIORAL-DISORDERS

This article is a response to David Elkind's ''Behavioral Disorders: A Postmodern Perspective'' (this issue). We suggest that Elkind's claim that a paradigmatic shift has occurred in the field of emotional and behavioral disorders is unwarranted, since multiple paradigms influenc e this area rather than a single monolithic view. Furthermore, we poin t out that Elkind's argument lies outside of the framework for underst anding scientific paradigms proposed by Thomas Kuhn. Finally, we argue that postmodernism lacks the intellectual coherence and heuristic int egrity necessary to qualify as a paradigm. We therefore find postmoder nism without merit in advancing our understanding of emotional and beh avioral disorders, clarifying issues facing the field, or improving pr actices.