File spoon-archives/bhaskar.archive/bhaskar_2003/bhaskar.0306, message 3


From: "wendy olsen" <wendy.olsen-AT-man.ac.uk>
Date: Mon, 2 Jun 2003 10:09:52 +0100
Subject: BHA: Re: Post-Positivism, post-empiricist Recommended Readings


Dear Brad and listers, On post-positivist methodology books, which 
inherently are critiques of positivism, here is a discussion: (Sorry 
for omissions)
There are a lot of books.  They fall into disciplinary categories. 
Here I cover health; sociology; and feminist books.
In medical/biological research Steve Rose is a name to look for; his 
work on The Mind/Brain is extremely challenging for natural-
science positivist.  Rose is a realist.    Turning to  sociology, we 
have Norman Blaikie, two books.  One, DEsigning Social 
Research, is useful to show to students and to other staff.  This 
book is realist but pragmatically labels itself as just how to do good 
social research.  The other is a serious book on realist methods 
and methodology, Approaches to Social Enquiry, is at masters 
level.  It is excellent.  A. Sayer has two books:  Method in Social 
Science (1984, 2nd ed 1992) and Realism and Social Science 
(Sage, recentie 2000). These cite Blaikie and many other sources.  
Sayer 1992 is really the place to start: m uch more straightforward 
than Bhaskar; however PossOFNatm is the best of Bhaskar.  
Finally for an overview, from a realist perspective, see the collected 
book ed. Archer, M., et al., 1998, Routledge.  This book is 'Critical 
Realism:  Essential Readings', it's costly but worth buying to save 
buying all the others. 

Then for more of an overview, please see M. Smith, Social Science 
in Question, 1998, Sage.  Smith reviews the semiotic schools, 
Kant, and the historical shift first into then out of positivism, ie the 
enlightenment.  It is a MA or UG Phil. of Social Science text.  
Alternative texts which are orthodox, but which still argue the case 
for realism convincingly in the appropriate chaters, are by 
Rosenberg, M., and by Crotty, and by Root (Phil. of Social 
Science).  These post-positivist review books differ from realism in 
giving a more balanced introduction to ALL the challengers of 
positivism, including all the hermeneutic and semiotic schools.  
That makes them very ambitious, specialising in PHILOSOPHY not 
social science itself.

Lastly the feminists are very good for eye-opening and reflexivity.  
Tim May is a leading proponent of reflexivity, see his book ed. with 
M. Williams, or see various journals articles by Tim.  C. New has 
articles in JournTheorySocBehav, very good, introducign feminist 
standpoint theory with a realist perspective.  The best book, for eye-
opening & post-positivism, is Stanley and Wise, Breaking Out 
Again:  Feminist Epistemology etc., Routledge. Although now 
dated, this book created for me a watershed so that I could never 
go back to facts.

Thus the critique is not just of positivism.  It is a resounding 
critique of empiricism instead.  Positivism is simply out of date, 
incoherent, and not worth spending much attention on.  (E.g. who 
thinks there are laws?  Who wants to verify a set of logically true 
statements?) But empiricism is alive and well, e.g. see the 
recourse to facts in Yin, 3rd ed. (ie very well established) Case 
Study Research (Sage 2002).

Yours,
Wendy Olsen
On 25 May 03, at 11:33, Brad Rose wrote:

From:           	Brad Rose <Bradrose1-AT-attbi.com>
To:             	bhaskar-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu
Subject:        	BHA: Critique of Positivism--Requst for Recommended Readings
Date sent:      	Sun, 25 May 2003 11:33:57 -0400
Send reply to:  	bhaskar-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu

> 
> 
> Dear List Members:
> 
> I know this is a enormously sweeping and probably immensely naive
> request, but I would like to receive suggestions from list members for
> readings (books, articles, portions of books, web articles, text
> books, etc.) that offer critiques of positivism in the social
> sciences. I am aware of some of Bhaskar's writings, although sadly,
> not with as much depth as I would like. (I'm now reading, at the
> generous suggestion of a list member, the Possibility of Naturalism. 
> Have also recelty read Benton and Craib's very helpful Philosophy of
> Social Science: The Philosophical Foundations of Social Thought). Are
> there other readings that list members have found to be especially
> powerful, succinct, and/or accessible to the informed, yet undeniably,
> "lay reader" (non-philosopher)?  Readings that are uniquely
> Illuminating, instructive?? Suggested readings need not be limited to
> CR, although readings in CR are especially welcomed.(You can reach me
> off list at the address below, if you prefer.)
> 
>  In advance, many thanks for your recommendations. 
> 
> 
> Brad Rose, Ph.D.
> Wellesley, MA 02482
> bradrose1-AT-attbi.com
> 
> 


Wendy Olsen
Lecturer in Socio-Economic Research
Cathie Marsh Centre for Census & Survey Research
University of Manchester
Manchester M13 9PL
0044-161-275-3043


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