Approaches and Methodologies in the Social Sciences. A Pluralist Perspective

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Cover Half-title Title Copyright Dedication Contents Figures Tables Contributors Preface 1 Introduction Big questions National traditions and cross-national influences The chapters Part I Epistemology and philosophy of the social sciences 2 How many approaches in the social sciences? An epistemological introduction Paradigms in the social sciences What can we know and how? Ontologies and epistemologies in the social sciences How many methodologies in the social sciences? From methodology to method How many ways to knowledge? NOTES 3 Normative political theory and empirical research Introduction The normative (re)turn in political theory An institutionalist and contextualist turn Non-ideal theory Global justice Closed societies Self-determination and minority rights Normative theory and the social sciences: can the gap be bridged? Three views of political power Problem-driven and tradition-driven approaches How to combine normative theory and empirical research The empirical study of normative attitudes and beliefs Studying institutionally embedded norms Qualitative case studies Quantitative comparative studies The ethics of normative theorizing NOTES 4 Causal explanation Introduction Deductive and inductive approaches Comparative statics Causal mechanisms Explanatory frameworks and modular explanations Causal reconstruction Conclusion NOTES 5 Constructivism: what it is (not) and how it matters Introduction Idola fori et theatri The constructivist perspective Problems of description, classification and operationalization Issues of explanation NOTES 6 Culture and social science Do we need a concept of culture? The return of culture Bringing culture back in Studying culture Combining cultural and other approaches NOTES 7 Historical institutionalism Origins Studying the real world Historical Institutionalism Three institutionalisms Taking history seriously Agendas Political and social ‘science’ Conclusion NOTES 8 Game theory Introduction Bayesian framework of rational choice: basic concepts and assumptions Rationality in interaction: the search for equilibria Taking stock The use of game-theoretic models for analytical purposes Norm-oriented reasons and the challenge of reciprocity Iterated games – the challenge of free-riding Evolutionary games – the instability of co-operation NOTES 9 Rationality and recognition Introduction Smith and Rousseau: the other as a spectator Hegel: interpersonal relations as the structure of subjectivity References to recognition in sociological thinking Max Weber Emil Durkheim Concluding remarks NOTES Part II Research design 10 Concepts and concept formation The ‘what-is’ question Classes and comparisons The ladder of abstraction Learning from the ladder of abstraction Other approaches to concept formation Conclusion NOTES 11 Comparative analysis: case-oriented versus variable-oriented research One or two logics: the debate on comparative politics Comparative analysis Case-oriented versus variable-oriented: diverse tools, shared standards? Definition of case and case selection What is a case? The number of cases The selection of cases Similar versus different cases Time and history in comparative politics Conclusion NOTES 12 Case studies and process tracing: theories and practices Introduction Case study: what is it? What for? What is a case study? Varieties of case studies The social scientific contributions of case studies Bachelard’s applied rationalism and case study research Epistemological rupture, conceptualization and observation in case study research Bridging positivist and interpretivist approaches to process tracing Process tracing in action Challenges and limits in case study research and process tracing Conclusion: Problem-solving and case studies 13 Quantitative analysis The vocabulary of quantitative research Sources of quantitative information The dataset and data matrix Variables and levels of measurement Units and levels of analysis Statistics How significant? How strong? Correlations between variables How widespread? Multivariate analysis Regression analysis The way forward NOTES 14 The design of social and political research Choice of topic Possibly optimizing choices Potentially damaging fallacies Conceptualization Possibly optimizing choices Potentially damaging fallacies Formation of hypotheses Possibly optimizing choices Potentially damaging fallacies Selection of cases Possibly optimizing choices Potentially damaging fallacies Writing the proposal Operationalization of variables Possibly optimizing choices Potentially damaging fallacies Measurement Possibly optimizing choices Potentially damaging fallacies Test for association Possibly optimizing choices Potentially damaging fallacies Causal inference Possibly optimizing choices Potentially damaging fallacies Self-assessment Conclusion NOTE 15 Ethnographic approaches Introduction Vignette 1 Vignette 2 Vignette 3 What is ethnography? Ethnography as an approach Naturalistic Holistic Theoretical openness and self-reflexivity A process in three steps Ethnographic methods Participant observation Interviewing Ethnographic writing and analysis Ethics Conclusion 16 Comparing approaches, methodologies and methods. Some concluding remarks Surveying the differences in approaches Where do we go and how? References Glossary Index