Re-Thinking Social Research

Re-Thinking Social Research PDF Author: Beth Humphries
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1351903586
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 237

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Book Description
Social research plays an important part in the social sciences and in the planning and implementation of personal social services. Whilst considerable attention has been paid to the methods used to undertake social research, little has been done to explore the processes under which it is carried out. This volume explores the process of social research from an anti-discriminatory perspective. Contributors address themes connected to every aspect of social research from its design, through fieldwork to implementation of findings. Papers adopt critical perspectives to explore issues to do with many aspects of power and 'difference' in research including the power of black feminist research, issues in collaborative research, anti-discriminatory methodologies, quality of life in people with learning difficulties and participatory research. The book addresses many key issues which have been at the centre of current social debate and offers a unique contribution to the literature on research methodology. As such, it is likely to have a wide readership with both academic audiences and practice based welfare professions.

Re-Thinking Social Research

Re-Thinking Social Research PDF Author: Beth Humphries
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1351903586
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 237

Get Book Here

Book Description
Social research plays an important part in the social sciences and in the planning and implementation of personal social services. Whilst considerable attention has been paid to the methods used to undertake social research, little has been done to explore the processes under which it is carried out. This volume explores the process of social research from an anti-discriminatory perspective. Contributors address themes connected to every aspect of social research from its design, through fieldwork to implementation of findings. Papers adopt critical perspectives to explore issues to do with many aspects of power and 'difference' in research including the power of black feminist research, issues in collaborative research, anti-discriminatory methodologies, quality of life in people with learning difficulties and participatory research. The book addresses many key issues which have been at the centre of current social debate and offers a unique contribution to the literature on research methodology. As such, it is likely to have a wide readership with both academic audiences and practice based welfare professions.

Rethinking Social Inquiry

Rethinking Social Inquiry PDF Author: Henry E. Brady
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
ISBN: 1442203455
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 429

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Book Description
With innovative new chapters on process tracing, regression analysis, and natural experiments, the second edition of Rethinking Social Inquiry further extends the reach of this path-breaking book. The original debate with King, Keohane, and Verba_now updated_remains central to the volume, and the new material illuminates evolving discussions of essential methodological tools. Thus, process tracing is often invoked as fundamental to qualitative analysis, but is rarely applied with precision. Pitfalls of regression analysis are sometimes noted, but often are inadequately examined. And the complex assumptions and trade-offs of natural experiments are poorly understood. The second edition extends the methodological horizon through exploring these critical tools. A distinctive feature of this edition is the online placement of four chapters from the prior edition, all focused on the dialogue with King, Keohane, and Verba. Also posted online are exercises for teaching process tracing and understanding process tracing.

Rethinking Case Study Research

Rethinking Case Study Research PDF Author: Lesley Bartlett
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
ISBN: 1317380517
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 141

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Book Description
Comparative case studies are an effective qualitative tool for researching the impact of policy and practice in various fields of social research, including education. Developed in response to the inadequacy of traditional case study approaches, comparative case studies are highly effective because of their ability to synthesize information across time and space. In Rethinking Case Study Research: A Comparative Approach, the authors describe, explain, and illustrate the horizontal, vertical, and transversal axes of comparative case studies in order to help readers develop their own comparative case study research designs. In six concise chapters, two experts employ geographically distinct case studies—from Tanzania to Guatemala to the U.S.—to show how this innovative approach applies to the operation of policy and practice across multiple social fields. With examples and activities from anthropology, development studies, and policy studies, this volume is written for researchers, especially graduate students, in the fields of education and the interpretive social sciences.

Re-thinking E-learning Research

Re-thinking E-learning Research PDF Author: Norm Friesen
Publisher: Peter Lang
ISBN: 9781433101359
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 282

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Book Description
In the rapidly-changing world of the Internet and the Web, theory and research struggle to keep up with technological, social, and economic developments. In education in particular, a proliferation of novel practices, applications, and forms - from bulletin boards to Webcasts, from online educational games to open educational resources - have come to be addressed under the rubric of «e-learning». In response to these phenomena, Re-thinking E-Learning Research introduces a number of research frameworks and methodologies relevant to e-learning. The book outlines methods for the analysis of content, narrative, genre, discourse, hermeneutic-phenomenological investigation, and critical and historical inquiry. It provides examples of pairings of method and subject matter that include narrative research into the adaptation of blogs in a classroom setting; the discursive-psychological analysis of student conversations with artificially intelligent agents; a genre analysis of an online discussion; and a phenomenological study of online mathematics puzzles. Introducing practical applications and spanning a wide range of the possibilities for e-learning, this book will be useful for students, teachers, and researchers in e-learning.

Using Social Theory

Using Social Theory PDF Author: Michael Pryke
Publisher: SAGE
ISBN: 1847876684
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 208

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Book Description
`If there is a single question that presses upon the intellect of the current generation of social scientists, it is surely: "what do the great insights of social theory imply for the way we conduct research and write about the social world?". Until now there has been no single text to turn to that explores the epistemological complexities of field work, the problems of writing and language, and of the logics of inquiry that link theory, method and evidence. Using Social Theory is a magisterial effort to open up the black-box of research methods, and to provide students, in a way that no other comparable text has done, with a road map for the practice of the contemporary human sciences′ - Michael Watts, Chancellor′s Professor of Geography and Director Institute of International Studies, University of California, Berkeley `From "theory talk to making it walk", Using Social Theory is one of the most useful and interesting books on the market. The authors demonstrate how to use philosophy and social theory as an indispensable toolkit for passionate and rigorous research. Essential reading for students and teachers in the social sciences and humanities′ - Professor Elspeth Probyn, Department of Gender Studies, University of Sydney Have you ever stopped to wonder about the influences that underpin research? If you are thinking about doing a piece of research, what difference might it make to the question you ask, to your approach to empirical work, analysis and writing of research, if you are influenced by one theoretical approach rather than another? The chapters in this innovative guide share a common belief that thinking alongside ideas, philosophical persuasions, is an integral part of the research process; it is not an optional extra. It sets out ways to encourage the researcher to think through three key moments of the research process: the production of a research question; fieldwork; and analysis and writing. As the authors demonstrate, research is not simply `done′: it has to be thought about and thought through. The book′s accessible style makes it suitable for anyone wishing to engage ideas in research in the social sciences and humanities.

Technology and Social Inclusion

Technology and Social Inclusion PDF Author: Mark Warschauer
Publisher: MIT Press
ISBN: 0262303698
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 222

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Book Description
Much of the discussion about new technologies and social equality has focused on the oversimplified notion of a "digital divide." Technology and Social Inclusion moves beyond the limited view of haves and have-nots to analyze the different forms of access to information and communication technologies. Drawing on theory from political science, economics, sociology, psychology, communications, education, and linguistics, the book examines the ways in which differing access to technology contributes to social and economic stratification or inclusion. The book takes a global perspective, presenting case studies from developed and developing countries, including Brazil, China, Egypt, India, and the United States. A central premise is that, in today's society, the ability to access, adapt, and create knowledge using information and communication technologies is critical to social inclusion. This focus on social inclusion shifts the discussion of the "digital divide" from gaps to be overcome by providing equipment to social development challenges to be addressed through the effective integration of technology into communities, institutions, and societies. What is most important is not so much the physical availability of computers and the Internet but rather people's ability to make use of those technologies to engage in meaningful social practices.

Rethinking Comparison

Rethinking Comparison PDF Author: Erica S. Simmons
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1108967086
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 303

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Book Description
Qualitative comparative methods – and specifically controlled qualitative comparisons – are central to the study of politics. They are not the only kind of comparison, though, that can help us better understand political processes and outcomes. Yet there are few guides for how to conduct non-controlled comparative research. This volume brings together chapters from more than a dozen leading methods scholars from across the discipline of political science, including positivist and interpretivist scholars, qualitative methodologists, mixed-methods researchers, ethnographers, historians, and statisticians. Their work revolutionizes qualitative research design by diversifying the repertoire of comparative methods available to students of politics, offering readers clear suggestions for what kinds of comparisons might be possible, why they are useful, and how to execute them. By systematically thinking through how we engage in qualitative comparisons and the kinds of insights those comparisons produce, these collected essays create new possibilities to advance what we know about politics.

Evaluating and Valuing in Social Research

Evaluating and Valuing in Social Research PDF Author: Thomas A. Schwandt
Publisher: Guilford Publications
ISBN: 146254732X
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 274

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Book Description
Much applied research takes place as if complex social problems--and evaluations of interventions to address them--can be dealt with in a purely technical way. In contrast, this groundbreaking book offers an alternative approach that incorporates sustained, systematic reflection about researchers' values, what values research promotes, how decisions about what to value are made and by whom, and how judging the value of social interventions takes place. The authors offer practical and conceptual guidance to help researchers engage meaningfully with value conflicts and refine their capacity to engage in deliberative argumentation. Pedagogical features include a detailed evaluation case, "Bridge to Practice" exercises and annotated resources in most chapters, and an end-of-book glossary.

Rethinking Social Policy

Rethinking Social Policy PDF Author: Gail Lewis
Publisher: SAGE
ISBN: 1412932742
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 370

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Book Description
Rethinking Social Policy is a comprehensive introduction to, and analysis of, the complex mixture of problems and possibilities within the study of social policy. Contributors at the cutting edge of social policy analysis reflect upon the implications of new social and theoretical movements for welfare and the study of social policy. Topics covered include: criminology and crime control; race, class and gender; poverty and sexuality; the body and the emotions; violence; work and welfare in Europe. Examples are drawn from a variety of welfare sectors such as: social services and community care, health, education, employment, and criminal justice. This is a course reader for The Open University course (D860) Rethinking Social Practice.

Social Science Research

Social Science Research PDF Author: Anol Bhattacherjee
Publisher: CreateSpace
ISBN: 9781475146127
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 156

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Book Description
This book is designed to introduce doctoral and graduate students to the process of conducting scientific research in the social sciences, business, education, public health, and related disciplines. It is a one-stop, comprehensive, and compact source for foundational concepts in behavioral research, and can serve as a stand-alone text or as a supplement to research readings in any doctoral seminar or research methods class. This book is currently used as a research text at universities on six continents and will shortly be available in nine different languages.