What do we mean by "paradigm shift"?

Paradigm shift is the term first used by Thomas Kuhn in his 1962 book The Structure of Scientific Revolutions to describe a change in basic assumptions within the ruling theory of science. It has since become widely applied to many other realms of human experience as well even though Kuhn himself restricted the use of the term to the hard sciences. According to Kuhn, "A paradigm is what members of a scientific community, and they alone, share.” (The Essential Tension, 1997). Unlike a normal scientist, Kuhn held, “a student in the humanities has constantly before him a number of competing and incommensurable solutions to these problems, solutions that he must ultimately examine for himself.” (The Structure of Scientific Revolutions). A scientist, however, once a paradigm shift is complete, is not allowed the luxury, for example, of positing the possibility that miasma causes the flu or that ether carries light in the same way that a critic in the Humanities can choose to adopt a 19th century theory of poetics, for instance, or select Marxism as an explanation of economic behaviour. Thus, paradigms, in the sense that Kuhn used them, do not exist in Humanities or social sciences. Nonetheless, the term has been adopted since the 1960s and applied in non-scientific contexts. Examples of paradigm shifts in science Main article: List of paradigm shifts in science There are a number of "classical cases" given for examples of Kuhnian paradigm shifts in science a few of them including: The transition between the Maxwellian Electromagnetic worldview and the Einsteinian Relativistic worldview. The transition between the worldview of Newtonian physics and the Einsteinian Relativistic worldview. The acceptance of Plate tectonics as the explanation for large-scale geologic changes. Because of the successful Disruptive technology of FPGAs the revolutionary Reconfigurable Computing paradigm, counterpart of traditional computing exclusively based on the von Neumann machine paradigm, introduces a dual paradigm programming methodology to High Performance Computing. Examples of paradigm shifts in complex systems and organizations The English monarchy with the signing of Magna Carta. The "explosion of life" marking the end of the Pre-Cambrian Era. Society with the invention of any of several innovations (fire, the wheel, gunpowder, the microchip, etc.). Warfare and corporate structure with the development of the Prussian Military Model. Other uses : The term "paradigm shift" has found uses in other contexts, representing the notion of a major change in a certain thought-pattern — a radical change in personal beliefs, complex systems or organizations, replacing the former way of thinking or organizing with a radically different way of thinking or organizing: Handa, M. L., a professor of sociology in education at O.S.E. University of Toronto, Canada, developed the concept of a paradigm within the context of social sciences. He defines what he means by "paradigm" and introduces the idea of a "social paradigm". In addition, he identifies the basic component of any social paradigm. Like Kuhn, he addresses the issue of changing paradigms, the process popularly known as "paradigm shift." In this respect, he focuses on the social circumstances which precipitate such a shift. Relatedly, he addresses how that shift affects social institutions, including the institution of education. The concept has been developed in economics (Giovanni Dosi) in the identification of new techno-economic paradigms as changes in technological systems that have a major influence on the behaviour of the entire economy. This concept is linked to Schumpeter's idea of "creative gales of destruction". Example include move to mass production, or the introduction of the microelectronics. Margaret Mead, noted anthropologist, shows a flashlight to the indigenous New Guinea people. Development of new techniques in genetics impact long-standing assumptions in anthropology. The phrase has been abused in "marketing speak", and is often considered a meaningless buzzword in this context. This is now so widespread that Larry Trask lists it in his book Mind The Gaffe as a phrase never to use, and he advises caution when reading anything that contains this phrase. Use in popular culture Paradigm Shift is a song title by the experimental progressive metal group Liquid Tension Experiment. Paradigm Shift is also the title of a manga-based webcomic by Dirk Tiede. Paradigm Shift is the name of a professional gaming clan founded in 1999.