Unveiling Realist Methodology in Social Research

undefined
Applying realism
Nick Emmel, Joanne Greenhalgh, and Geoff Wong
The three features of an applied realist
methodology we want to talk about today
Realist methods are theory
incarnate
Explanation depends on
context
Mechanisms are transferable
Concepts, meaning, and intentions are as
real as rocks; they are just not as
accessible to direct observation and
description as rocks. In this way they are
like quarks, black holes, the meteor
impact that supposedly killed the
dinosaurs, or William Shakespeare: we
have no way of directly observing them,
and our claims about them are based on a
variety of sorts of indirect evidence.
(Maxwell, 2013:18)
The context, mechanism, outcome (CMO) configuration
 
A LOGIC OF ANALYSIS: The CMO configuration is a heuristic device, the basic
ingredients of realist social explanation. It reminds us to fill in the realist question
‘What works, for whom, in which circumstances and 
why
?’ (Pawson and Tilley, 1997;
Pawson, 2013)
 
A BASIS FOR
TRANSFERABLE LESSONS
Discovery does not go up or down, but
follows a zig-zag path, prodded by
counterexamples, it moves from the naïve
conjecture to the premises and then turns
back again to delete the naïve conjecture
and replace it by the theorem. Naïve
conjecture and counter examples do not
appear in the fully fledged [inferential]
structure; the zig-zag of discovery cannot
be discerned in the end-product […] our
proofs do not prove’ (Lakatos, 1976:42;75)
The schema of the zigzag of realist research
 
Searching a flat hierarchy of evidence—
surfacing / garnering / outing theories of
the middle range—a bundles of hypotheses
to test
 
Fallible model of w
hat works,
for whom, in what
circumstances and why?’
 
Propose the internal relations
(mechanisms) that makes
experiences what they are
RETRODUCTION
 
Creatively re-describe /
re-contextualise
ABDUCTION
 
—To choose cases, choose methods
 
Fragile ideas about what
works, for whom, in what
circumstances and why?’
Slide Note
Embed
Share

Uncover the essence of applied realist methodology through features like theory incarnate, context-dependent explanations, and transferable mechanisms. Explore the logic of analysis using the CMO configuration as a heuristic tool for social explanation, emphasizing the importance of context, mechanism, and outcomes. Delve into the zig-zag path of discovery in realist research, focusing on testing hypotheses and proposing internal relations. Dive into the schema of zigzag realist research, highlighting the process of surfacing evidence, testing hypotheses, and creatively re-describing experiences.

  • Realist Methodology
  • Social Research
  • CMO Configuration
  • Zigzag Research
  • Evidence Surfacing

Uploaded on Oct 02, 2024 | 0 Views


Download Presentation

Please find below an Image/Link to download the presentation.

The content on the website is provided AS IS for your information and personal use only. It may not be sold, licensed, or shared on other websites without obtaining consent from the author.If you encounter any issues during the download, it is possible that the publisher has removed the file from their server.

You are allowed to download the files provided on this website for personal or commercial use, subject to the condition that they are used lawfully. All files are the property of their respective owners.

The content on the website is provided AS IS for your information and personal use only. It may not be sold, licensed, or shared on other websites without obtaining consent from the author.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. Applying realism Nick Emmel, Joanne Greenhalgh, and Geoff Wong

  2. The three features of an applied realist methodology we want to talk about today Realist methods are theory incarnate Explanation depends on context Mechanisms are transferable

  3. Concepts, meaning, and intentions are as real as rocks; they are just not as accessible to direct observation and description as rocks. In this way they are like quarks, black holes, the meteor impact that supposedly killed the dinosaurs, or William Shakespeare: we have no way of directly observing them, and our claims about them are based on a variety of sorts of indirect evidence. (Maxwell, 2013:18)

  4. A LOGIC OF ANALYSIS: The CMO configuration is a heuristic device, the basic ingredients of realist social explanation. It reminds us to fill in the realist question What works, for whom, in which circumstances and why? (Pawson and Tilley, 1997; Pawson, 2013) Context Mechanism A MODEL OF CAUSATION Regularity RESOURCE REASONING A BASIS FOR TRANSFERABLE LESSONS The context, mechanism, outcome (CMO) configuration

  5. Discovery does not go up or down, but follows a zig-zag path, prodded by counterexamples, it moves from the na ve conjecture to the premises and then turns back again to delete the na ve conjecture and replace it by the theorem. Na ve conjecture and counter examples do not appear in the fully fledged [inferential] structure; the zig-zag of discovery cannot be discerned in the end-product [ ] our proofs do not prove (Lakatos, 1976:42;75)

  6. The schema of the zigzag of realist research Searching a flat hierarchy of evidence surfacing / garnering / outing theories of the middle range a bundles of hypotheses to test Fragile ideas about what works, for whom, in what circumstances and why? To choose cases, choose methods Brought into relation with Evidence To test, judge, refine Ideas Propose the internal relations (mechanisms) that makes experiences what they are RETRODUCTION Creatively re-describe / re-contextualise ABDUCTION Fallible model of what works, for whom, in what circumstances and why? RESOURCES

Related


More Related Content

giItT1WQy@!-/#giItT1WQy@!-/#giItT1WQy@!-/#