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SOC 323: SOCIOLOGICAL RESEARCH METHODS (WEEK 11:1)

RESEARCH PARADIGMS

SOC322: Sociological
Research methods
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Where are we?

 Week 7: Introduction to Social Research

 Week 8(1): Social Research in African Contexts
 Week 8(2): Quantitative Research Neuman, W.L. 2014.
 Week 9(1): Quantitative Research Methods
Social Research Methods:
Qualitative and
 Week 9(2): Sampling
Quantitative Approaches.
 Week 10(1): Doing your own research
Seventh edition. Harlow:
 Week 10(2): Qualitative Research
Pearson, pp 92-124.
 Week 11(1): Research Paradigms
 Week 12: Mixed Methods Research
 Week 13: Revision / Preparation for Final Assessment
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Is Social Science “real science”?

 Ontology: What is? What are the categories of reality?

 There is a reality “out there” – Realists
 Reality is always perceived through a lens as it is interpreted – Nominalists

(Source: Neuman, 2014:95)

 Epistemology: How is knowledge created?
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Seeing the world differently:
Paradigms

 Positivism: The oldest approach to science and many think the only way to do
science. It originated in natural sciences and is described as Positivist Social
Science (PSS) when applied to social sciences.
 PSS attempt to uncover causal laws (what causes what); it relies heavily on empirical
observations and it strives for “value-free science”. Uses an organized method that
combines deductive logic with precise empirical observations.
 Interpretivism (Interpretive Social Science): This approach refers to empathetic
understanding of other people, it can be linked to the term verstehen as used
by Max Weber. How is meaning socially constructed?
 Critical Social Theory (CSS): Can be linked with the work of Karl Marx. It has a
strong focus on activism and empowerment.
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Approaches to research (paradigms)
How would you
answer these 10
questions?
 1. What is the ultimate purpose of  6. What constitutes an explanation or
conducting social scientific research? theory of social reality?
 2. What is the fundamental nature of  7. How does one determine whether
social reality? an explanation is true or false?
 3. What is the basic nature of human  8. What does good evidence or
beings? factual information look like?
 4. What is the view on human agency  9. What is the relevance or use of
(free will, volition, and rationality)? social scientific knowledge?
 5. What is the relationship between  10. Where do sociopolitical values
science and common sense? enter into science?
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Positivism / PSS
(Neuman, 2014: 102)

 1. What is the ultimate purpose of conducting social scientific research?

 The purpose of social science is to discover laws.
 2. What is the fundamental nature of social reality?
 An essentialist view is that reality is empirically evident.
 3. What is the basic nature of human beings?
 Humans are rational thinking, individualistic mammals, self-interested.
 4. What is the view on human agency (free will, volition, and rationality)?
 A deterministic stance is taken regarding human agency.
 5. What is the relationship between science and common sense?
 Scientific knowledge is different from and superior to all other knowledge.
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Positivism / PSS

 6. What constitutes an explanation or theory of social reality?

 Explanations are nomothetic (based on a system of laws) and advance via deductive reasoning
(from general to specific conclusions).
 7. How does one determine whether an explanation is true or false?
 Explanations must not have logical contradictions and must be consistent with observed facts.
Explanations are verified using replication by other researchers.
 8. What does good evidence or factual information look like?
 Social science evidence requires intersubjectivity.
 9. What is the relevance or use of social scientific knowledge?
 Learn how the social world works and control it. This is an instrumental orientation. Knowledge is
used from a technocratic perspective.
 10. Where do sociopolitical values enter into science?
 Social science should be value free and objective.
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Interpretive Social Science
(Neuman, 2014: 110)

 1. What is the ultimate purpose of conducting social scientific research?

 The purpose of social science is to understand social meaning in context.
 2. What is the fundamental nature of social reality?
 A constructionist view is that reality is socially created.
 3. What is the basic nature of human beings?
 Humans are interacting social beings who create and reinforce shared meaning.
 4. What is the view on human agency (free will, volition, and rationality)?
 A voluntaristic stance is taken regarding human agency. That is, people are able to make conscious
choices.
 5. What is the relationship between science and common sense?
 Scientific knowledge is different from but no better than other forms.
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Interpretive Social Science

 6. What constitutes an explanation or theory of social reality?

 Explanations are idiographic (symbolic representation/”thick”) and advance via inductive reasoning.
 7. How does one determine whether an explanation is true or false?
 Explanations are verified using the postulate of adequacy with people being studied. E.g. gambling.
 8. What does good evid
 ence or factual information look like?
 Social scientific evidence is contingent, context specific, and often requires bracketing. (re-axime taken for
granted/obvious meanings. E.g. “Going out after class” [What are they not saying?]”
 9. What is the relevance or use of social scientific knowledge?
 A practical orientation (how ordinary people do things) is taken toward knowledge that is used from a
transcendent perspective. This is developing research with participants, work closely for mutual understandings)
 10. Where do sociopolitical values enter into science?
 Social science should be relativistic regarding value positions. You need, temporarily, to empathize + share in the
social + political commitments or values of participants.
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Critical Social Theory
(Neuman, 2014: 118)

 1. What is the ultimate purpose of conducting social scientific research?

 The purpose of social science is to reveal what is hidden to liberate and empower people.
 2. What is the fundamental nature of social reality?
 Social reality has multiple layers.
 3. What is the basic nature of human beings?
 People have unrealized potential and are misled by reification; social life is relational.
 4. What is the view on human agency (free will, volition, and rationality)?
 A bounded autonomy stance is taken toward human agency.
 5. What is the relationship between science and common sense?
 Scientific knowledge is imperfect but can fight false consciousness.
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Critical Social Theory

 6. What constitutes an explanation or theory of social reality?

 Abduction is used to create explanatory critiques.
 7. How does one determine whether an explanation is true or false?
 Explanations are verified through praxis.

 8. What does good evidence or factual information look like?

 Facts of material conditions existing independently of subjective perceptions, but facts are interpreted
through values, theory and meaning.

 9. What is the relevance or use of social scientific knowledge?

 A reflexive-dialectic orientation is adopted toward knowledge that is used from a transformative perspective.
 10. Where do sociopolitical values enter into science?
 Social reality and the study of it necessarily contain a moral-political dimension, and moral political positions
are unequal in advancing human freedom and empowerment.
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So What?

 We have now looked at the three major paradigms and as you would
have noticed in the prescribed reading, there are two more paradigms
discussed here. What we can see from these perspectives is that different
researchers approach research differently. You as a future researcher
have to ask yourself where do you fit in?
 Also remember: These paradigms are ideal types, in others words
researchers are not always entirely fitting into only one paradigm, but one
is usually dominant.
 See p. 121 where more paradigms are highlighted.
 Look at the following abstracts from articles, can you identify the relevant
paradigm? Can you justify your view?
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List of references

 Neuman, W.L. 2014. Social Research Methods: Qualitative and

Quantitative Approaches. Seventh edition. Harlow: Pearson, pp 92-124.
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Paradigm?
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Household resource flows and food
poverty during South Africa’s
lockdown: Short-term policy
implications for three channels of
social protection
Gabrielle Wills, Leila Patel, Servaas van der Berg and Bokang Mpeta1
15 July 2020
Abstract Paradigm?
In response to the COVID-19 crisis, and the anticipated socio- economic impacts of a hard lockdown, the South African
government has leveraged three channels of social protection to protect livelihoods: social insurance, a social assistance
programme of grants and localised social relief efforts. Using a mixed methods approach, this policy report highlights that while
the response from government and the social sector has been commendable, large groups of households are experiencing
tremendous hardship as a direct consequence of the lockdown. New evidence from a telephonic survey suggests that 2 of every
5 adults reported that their household lost its main source of income since lockdown started in South Africa on the 27th of March
2020. This has had devastating consequences for food insecurity and household hunger. Of interviewed adults, 47% reported
that their household ran out of money to buy food in April. Between May and June 2020, 21% reported that someone in the
household went hungry in the last 7 days and 15% reported that a child went hungry in the last 7 days. To stave off mass,
chronic hunger we simply cannot let up on the support being provided to households through all three channels of social
protection. Failure to do so could deepen an emerging humanitarian crisis, hamper economic recovery, and threaten socio-
political stability.
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Paradigm?