Approaches and Methodologies in the Social Sciences: A Pluralist Perspective

by Edited by Donatella Della Porta , Michael Keating

• ISBN13: 9780521709668
• ISBN10: 0521709660
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2008-09-22
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Summary

A revolutionary new textbook introducing masters and doctoral students to the major research approaches and methodologies in the social sciences. Written by an outstanding set of scholars, and derived from successful course teaching, this volume will empower students to choose their own approach to research, to justify this approach, and to situate it within the discipline. It addresses questions of ontology, epistemology and philosophy of social science, and proceeds to issues of methodology and research design essential for producing a good research proposal. It also introduces researchers to the main issues of debate and contention in the methodology of social sciences, identifying commonalities, historic continuities and genuine differences.

Table of Contents

List of figures	p. ix
List of tables	p. x
Contributors	p. xi
Preface	p. xiii
Introduction	p. 1
Epistemology and philosophy of the social sciences	p. 17
How many approaches in the social sciences? An epistemological introduction	p. 19
Normative political theory and empirical research	p. 40
Causal explanation	p. 61
Constructivism: what it is (not) and how it matters	p. 80
Culture and social science	p. 99
Historical institutionalism	p. 118
Game theory	p. 139
Rationality and recognition	p. 162
Research design	p. 175
Concepts and concept formation	p. 177
Comparative analysis: case-oriented versus variable-oriented research	p. 198
Case studies and process tracing: theories and practices	p. 223
Quantitative analysis	p. 240
The design of social and political research	p. 263
Ethnographic approaches	p. 296
Comparing approaches, methodologies and methods. Some concluding remarks	p. 316
References	p. 323
Glossary	p. 348
Index	p. 357
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