Technology and Gadgets

Handa, M.L. (1986) introduced the concept of "social paradigm" in the context of social sciences. He identified the basic elements of a social paradigm. Like Kuhn, Handa addressed the issue of changing paradigm, the process popularly known as "paradigm shift". In this regard, he emphasized the social conditions that precipitate such a change and the effects of transition on social institutions, including the institution of education. This vast change in the social sphere, in turn, changes the way the individual perceives reality.

Another use of the word paradigm is a sense of spirituality (German for the vision of the world). For example, in the social sciences, the term is used to describe all the experiences, beliefs and values that affect how an individual perceives reality and responds to this perception. Social scientists have adopted the Kuhnian "paradigm shift" to describe a change in how a given society is to organize and understand the reality. A "dominant paradigm" refers to values, or system of thought, in a society which are more standard and widely held at a given time. Dominant paradigms are shaped by the cultural community and the historical context of the moment. The following are conditions that facilitate a system of thought of becoming a dominant paradigm accepted:

* The professional organizations that give legitimacy to the paradigm
* Dynamic leaders who claim to put in place and the paradigm
* The newspapers and editors who write on the system of thought. They both disseminate information essential to the paradigm and gives legitimacy paradigm
* Government agencies that give credence to the paradigm
* The paradigm educators who propagate the ideas of teachers to students
* Conferences, which are conducted to review ideas central to the paradigm
* The media coverage
* Lay groups, or groups around the concerns of the laity, which include beliefs central to the paradigm
* Sources of funding for further research on the paradigm

The word paradigm is also still used to indicate a template or model or an exceptionally clear or typical example or archetype. The term is frequently used in this sense in the design professions. Design Paradigms or archetypes are precedents for functional design solutions. The most famous references on the design paradigms are Design Paradigms: A Sourcebook for the creation of display, Wake, and Design Paradigms by Petroski.

This term is also used in cybernetics. Here, it means (in a very broad sense) a (conceptual) protoprogramme to reduce the chaotic mass to some form of order. Note similarities to the concept of entropy in chemistry and physics. A paradigm, it would be a sort of prohibition to carry out any action that would increase the total entropy of the system. To create a paradigm, a closed system that accepts any change is necessary. Thus, a paradigm can be applied only from a system that is not in its final phase.