the foundations of social research ch 1
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powerpoint lecture on the Crotty text chapter one for my classTRANSCRIPT
The Foundations of Social The Foundations of Social ResearchResearch
Introduction: Research is About Questions◦ What methodologies and methods will we
be employing in the research we propose to do?
◦ How do we justify this choice and use of methodologies and methods?
◦ What kind of knowledge do we believe will be attained by our research?
◦ What characteristics do we believe that knowledge to have?
◦ How should our audience regard the outcomes of our research?
◦ Why should our audience take these questions seriously?
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At issue in the questions are four steps of inquiry that constitute the basic elements of the research process:◦What methods do we propose to use?◦What methodology governs our choice
and use of methods?◦What theoretical perspective lies
behind the methodology in question?◦What epistemology informs this
theoretical perspective?
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Methods: The techniques or procedures used to gather and analyze data related to some research question or hypothesis.
Methodology: The strategy, plan of action, process or design lying behind the choice and use of particular methods and linking the choice and use of methods to the desired outcomes.
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Theoretical Perspective: The philosophical stance informing the methodology and thus providing a context for the process and grounding its logic and criteria.
Epistemology: The theory of knowledge embedded in the theoretical perspective and thereby in the methodology.
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The Foundations of Social The Foundations of Social ResearchResearch
The Foundations of Social The Foundations of Social ResearchResearch
(See Table 1, page 5 of Crotty Text)
What purpose do the four elements serve?◦Ensures soundness of research
design (validity)◦Assists in justifying research◦How might we outline our research
proposal in these terms? 2 methods
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1. Discussion of Research Methods
2. Discussion of Research Methodology
3. Discussion of Theoretical Perspective
4. Discussion of Epistemology(In communication…)
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1. Discussion of Epistemology2. Discussion of Theoretical
Perspective3. Discussion of Research
Methodology4. Discussion of Research
Methods
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Epistemology◦A way of looking at the world and
making sense of it◦How we know what we know◦The nature of knowledge, its
possibility, scope and general basis◦Philosophical grounding for what
kinds of knowledge are possible and how we can ensure that they are both adequate and legitimate.
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Major Types of Epistemology◦Objectivism◦Constructionism◦Subjectivism
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Objectivism◦Meaning and meaningful reality exists
as such apart from the operation of any consciousness.
◦The tree in the forest is a tree, regardless of whether anyone is aware of its existence or not
◦Without humans, it carries intrinsic meaning of ‘tree-ness.’ When human beings recognize it as a tree,
they are discovering a meaning that has been there all along.
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Constructionism◦There is no objective truth waiting
for us to discover it. Truth, or meaning, comes into existence in and out of our engagement with the realities in our world. There is no meaning without a mind.
◦Meaning is not discovered but constructed. Subject and object emerge as partners in
the generation of meaning.
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SubjectivismMeaning is imposed on the object
by the subject.The object itself makes no
contribution to the meaningMeaning comes from anything
but the object to which it is ascribed.
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Question to class for discussion:◦How would taking one of these three
epistemological stances affect how you do your research?
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Ontology◦The study of being◦Concerned with what is (as opposed to
how we come to know what is)◦Concerned with the nature of
existence◦Ontological issues and Epistemological
issues tend to emerge together◦“Realism is often taken to imply
Objectivism” One is ontological, one is epistemological, which one is which, how are they different? See p. 10
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How would creationists and evolutionists view the 3rd paragraph statement on p. 10?
What does it mean to say, “The existence of a world without a mind is conceivable. Meaning without a mind is not.”
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On page 12, Why does Crotty tell us that there are very few restrictions on where these left-to-right (and even occassionally up and down) arrows may go in the four part schema? Do you agree, why or why not?
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Crotty critiques research textbooks that pit qualitative and quantitative methods against one another and instead argues the divide should be at the epistemological or theoretical level, not at the methodology or methods level. Why does he do this?