ABSTRACT
This chapter illustrates the differences between the assumptions regarding knowledge in the linear model and more empirically based models by summarising the debate comparing Habermasian and Foucauldian understandings. Contrary to a Habermasian focus on how communication could be made to function in an ideal situation, which is similar to assumptions made regarding the real world in the linear model, Foucauldian understandings highlight the role of power and interest in all situations. The chapter shows that contrasting these perspectives can help us understand the implications of different assumptions, for instance for adaptation and mitigation in the real world, and what the empirical delimitations on communication and learning may be.
