9/15/2014

Seventh Edition

Social Research Methods:

Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches
by W. Lawrence Neuman

Chapter 4: The Meanings

of Methodology

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Philosophical Foundations
Ontology
Epistemology

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Three Approaches

Paradigm
Positivist social science
Interpretive social science
Critical social science

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9/15/2014

10 Questions

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Positivist Social Science

1) What is the purpose of social scientific research?
Causal laws

2) What is the fundamental nature of social reality?

Predict behavior

3) What is the basic nature of human beings?

Mechanical model of man

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Positivist Social Science

4) What is the view on human agency?
Determinism

5) What is the relationship between science and

common sense?
Separate ways of knowing scientific jargon

6) What constitutes an explanation or theory of

social reality?
Nomothetic
Covering law model
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9/15/2014

Positivist Social Science

7) How does one determine whether an explanation
is true or false?
Replication and not logical contradictions

8) What does good evidence look like?

Intersubjectivity - Set out to disprove science

9) What is the use of science?

Instrumental orientation
Technocratic perspective

10) Where do sociopolitical values enter science?

Value free and objective
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Positivist Social Science

How would PSS approach the following sociological concepts?

Family dynamics
College entrance
Federal interest rates
Armed robbery

College romance
Primary elections
Grocery store produce
Corporate welfare

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Interpretive Social Science

1) What is the purpose of social scientific research?
Meaningful social action

2) What is the fundamental nature of social reality?

Constructionist orientation

3) What is the basic nature of human beings?

Creating flexible systems of meanings

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9/15/2014

Interpretive Social Science

4) What is the view on human agency?
Voluntarism
5) What is the relationship between science and
common sense?
Natural attitude
6) What constitutes an explanation or theory of social
reality?
Idiographic
Typification
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Interpretive Social Science

7) How does one determine whether an explanation
is true or false?
Postulate of adequacy

8) What does good evidence look like?

Bracketing

9) What is the use of science?

Practical orientation
Transcendent perspective

10) Where do sociopolitical values enter science?

Relativism
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Interpretive Social Science

How would ISS approach the following sociological concepts?

Family dynamics
College entrance
Federal interest rates
Armed robbery

College romance
Primary elections
Grocery store produce
Corporate welfare

Copyright 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc.

All rights reserved.

9/15/2014

Critical Social Science

1) What is the purpose of social scientific research?
Transform social conditions

2) What is the fundamental nature of social reality?

Dialectic

3) What is the basic nature of human beings?

Creative but reification

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Critical Social Science

4) What is the view on human agency?
Bounded autonomy

5) What is the relationship between science and

common sense?
False-conciousness

6) What constitutes an explanation or theory of

social reality?
Abduction
Explanatory critique
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Critical Social Science

7) How does one determine whether an explanation
is true or false?
Praxis

8) What does good evidence look like?

Facts are not value free

9) What is the use of science?

Reflexive-dialectic orientation
Transformative perspective

10) Where do sociopolitical values enter science?

Activist orientation
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9/15/2014

Critical Social Science

How would CSS approach the following sociological concepts?

Family dynamics
College entrance
Federal interest rates
Armed robbery

College romance
Primary elections
Grocery store produce
Corporate welfare

Copyright 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc.

All rights reserved.

Feminist and Postmodern Research

Feminist Research

Postmodern Research

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Common Features of All Approaches

Empirical
Systematic
Theoretical
Public
Self-reflective
Open-ended process

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