Talk:Triangulation (social science)

Non-social science usage

While family therapy, politics, and international relations are all covered by social scientists in the broadest sense, they obviously don't belong in this article with a focus on methodology. We already have separate articles for Triangulation (family dynamics) and Triangulation (politics), where this information would be better placed. I don't have the time to integrate it there, so I moved the following sections to the talk page first. Maybe their original authors would like to integrate them with their respective main articles. --Thorsten1 (talk) 09:14, 5 February 2008 (UTC)

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Family Therapy

In Family Systems Theory, whenever two people have problems with each other, one or both will "triangle in" a third member. Murray Bowen emphasized people respond to anxiety between each other by shifting the focus to a third person, triangulation. In a triangle, two are on the inside and one is on the outside. For example, rather than talk with her husband about and deal with her frustration with him, a new mother might preoccupy herself with her new child. In this case, the wife diminishes her anxiety by ignoring its source (the relationship between her and her husband); the husband is on the outside and the wife and child are on the inside.

Similarly, in the same situation, instead of talk with his wife about their marriage and deal with his frustration with her, the husband might spend more time at work instead. He would thus be making work as the inside relationship excluding his wife.

In either example, though anxiety is reduced, neither husband or wife resolve the source of their anxiety.

Triangles usually have two individuals or entities in conflict, and another entity or individual uninvolved with the conflict is brought in. When tension is not high the relationship between the first two individuals is desirable. The two original people of the relationship or conflict are the inside positions of the triangle. The insiders bond when they prefer each other, but in the case of conflict, another entity or individual (the outsider) is brought in by one of the first individuals in effort to either diffuse and avoid the situation or team up against the other insider (see paragraph discussing high levels of tension). The insiders may actively exclude the outsider when tensions are not low between the insiders. Being excluded may provoke intense feelings of rejection and the outsider works to get closer to one of the insiders.

Like musical chairs, the positions are not fixed. If mild to moderate tension develops between the insiders, the most uncomfortable insider will move closer an outsider. The remaining original insider then switches places with the outsider. The excluded insider becomes the new outsider and the original outsider is now an insider. Predictably, the new outsider may move to restore closeness with one of the current insiders.

At a high level of tension, the outside position becomes the most desirable. If the insiders conflict severely, one insider opts for the outside position by getting the current outsider to fight with the other insider. If the maneuvering insider succeeds, he gains the more comfortable position of watching the other two people fight. When the tension and conflict subside, the outsider will try to regain an inside position.

Politics

By extension, "triangulation" has been used to describe a perceived political strategy pursued successfully by U.S. President Bill Clinton, referred to as "clintonian triangulation", and British Prime Minister Tony Blair (and unsuccessfully by Australian Labor leader Mark Latham). In these terms, it could be summarised as akin to the Hegelian theory of synthesis in which apparently contradictory elements of the Left and the Right are reconciled. For instance, government versus the market, rights versus responsibilities, are synthesised into a theoretically homogeneous whole. This has been branded by Blair the "Third Way" (also known as "New Labour"). In political circles, however, it has become a "fuzzword" similar to "thinking outside the square".

International Relations

Triangulation is also used in instances where goods and services are traded from one nation to another, using an intermediate nation. Often associated with arms sales where the exporting nation is unable to sell directly to the importing nation and thus uses a third agent to act as an intermediatary. (see Baylis and Smith; Globalisation of World Politics).

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