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Construction of an SI Theory of Fashion: Part 2. From Discovery to Formalization

Department of Sociology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-2101

Susan B. Kaiser

Division of Textiles and Clothing, University of California, Davis, CA 95616

Sandra S. Hutton

Department of Design, Merchandising and Consumer Studies, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523

In this second part of a three-part series presenting a symbolic interactionist (SI) theory of fashion, the theory presented in part one is used to demonstrate the process by which a theory can be constructed, illustrating the movement through the contexts of discovery, theoretical synthesis, and formalization in the model of scientific inquiry presented by Nagasawa, Kaiser and Hutton (1989). This paper uses theoretical synthesis to move us from the concrete realm to abstractions about the fashion process. Generalizations are derived and combined with existing theoretical statements, and then conjectures are made to provide a theoretical "leap. " Lastly, verbal statements of fashion axioms are subjected to a process of formalization for purposes of deriving hypotheses. Relationships among axioms and derived theorems are provided, and examples from the literature demonstrating the theory's utility are considered.

Key Words: fashion • theory • abduction • formalization

Clothing and Textiles Research Journal, Vol. 13, No. 4, 234-244 (1995)
DOI: 10.1177/0887302X9501300404


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