Paradigms and Sand Castles: Theory Building and Research Design in Comparative Politics

by Barbara Geddes

Paradigms and Sand Castles demonstrates the relationship between thoughtful research design and the collection of persuasive evidence in support of theory. It teaches the craft of research through interesting and carefully selected examples from the field of comparative development studies.

"The quest for cumulative knowledge in comparative politics is Sisyphean in nature. Yet Barbara Geddes is able to push her boulder pretty far up that mountain. As she shows with examples from her own meticulous research designs, comparativists can succeed only by theorizing processes and putting the implications of their theories to test. Those who ignore the sage counsel presented in Paradigms and Sand Castles should prepare themselves for an avalanche of methodological criticism."
—David D. Laitin, Stanford University

"To read this book is to witness a teacher and problem solver at work. Geddes takes inspiration from the literature in comparative politics and develops strategies for evaluating its claims. In doing so, she accompanies students as they transit from being readers and consumers of texts to producers of knowledge. Geddes launches this journey from an engagement with the macrolevel themes that dominate our field and that bring to it the young and the committed; and she equips scholars to render these themes not only subjects of debate but also subjects of inquiry. There is a rich mind and skilled mentor behind this work."
—Robert H. Bates, Harvard University

Genres: Political Science, Politics, Grad School, Academic

314 pages, Paperback

First published August 8, 2003

Reviews

[Rich · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good (methodology) read on theory building, primarily focused on non-quantitative methods and research design in general. Also has a review of the incorporation of the rational choice approach and deals exposes a lot of the popular myths regarding the approach.

[Ahmed Mohsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

كتاب عن المناهج البحثية وبالأخص "المنهج المقارن" وتحديداً في مجال العلوم السياسية....المناهج البحثية هي نقطة ضعف كبيرة في الباحثين العرب، وسبب رئيسي في تراجع مستوى الأكاديميا عربياً وضعف مستواها.
قرأت هذا الكتاب بالتزامن مع كتب أخرى تتناول نفس الموضوع، هو يعتبر واحد من اهم الكتب الكلاسيكية في هذا المجال. به الكثير من التطبيقات الهامة والأفكار الأساسية. في كتب لاحقة وجدت عدد من الإنتقادات لبعض الأفكار الموجودة به، لكنها كانت ف المجمل تطوير لها وليس هدماً بالكلية.
على الرغم من أنه يحتاج إلى صبر في قراءته، وفي بعض الأحيان توجد صعوبة في اللغة المستخدمة وبالأخص لمن اللغة الأنجليزية ليست لغتهم الأم مثلي، إلا أن الكتاب مفيد جدا، والكاتبة تكتبه وكأنه تدرس في فصل دراسي وتشرح للطلبه.