L13 CP Critical realism & Mixed methods Flashcards
What is critical raelism?
Assumes that human/social reality consists of MORE than what can be observed. It’s a more nuanced view of reality.
In what way does critical realism critiqu positivsm and popper?
Theory can be more than what is simply ‘observed’. Values and belief systems can’t be ‘seen’. Should we not study and theorize them?
Explain the stratified model of ontology.
- Empricial: small amount that we can observe
- Actual: events that we may or may not observe
- Real: largely unseen structures and causal mechanisms that drive events and outcomes. Understanding the realityo f a phenomenon.
Explain the empirical, actual and real and how they are nested into each other.
Empirical: the small
amount that we can observe.
Actual: events that we may or may not observe.
Real: the largely unseen structures & causal mechanisms that drive events and outcomes.
What is abstraction about ? (again)
Iterative, reflective, conceptual thinking. What are the underlying causal mechanisms that explain a relationship between 2 or more empirically observed variables regular events.
HOw did critical realism contribute to research as we do it now?
It advocates for example triangulation, sequentiallity + it captures different dimensions. Also introduces: surveys, interviews or archival research.
What are shortcomings of critical realism?
Overly abstract and difficult to apply reserach designs
Social reality is too complex to be explained via over-arching ideologies.
Why is CR so popular in social science debates nowadays?
- Its emphasis on taking a ‘middle ground’ to ontologicial views of positivists and social constructionists
- Emphasis on considering larger theories as a way to make sense of observed phenomena (abstraction, causal mechanisms, etc.)
- Suggestion that more than one method can be helpful in pursuing complex social phenomena (so get away from the Qualitative/Quantitative divide)…
