Conceptual Foundations of Social Research Methods

by David Baronov

One of the common frustrations for students trying to make sense of the various debates and concepts that inform contemporary educational and social science research methods such as structuralism, postpositivism, hermeneutics, and postmodernism is that most books introducing these topics are written at a level that assumes the reader comes to this material with a basic grasp of the underlying ideas. Too often, fundamental concepts and theories are presented without adequate preparation and without providing practical examples to illustrate key elements. When the first edition of "Conceptual Foundations of Social Research Methods" was published, it represented a sharp contrast with these other approaches and received much praise. In this revised and expanded second edition, David Baronov further develops his critically acclaimed treatment of the core conceptual tools of social research informing education and the social sciences, updating his discussion of the current literature, and adding a new chapter that explores the role of pragmatism. Features of the Second Edition"

224 pages, Paperback

First published July 28, 2004

Reviews

[Emma Rae · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick and dirty overview of core sociological concepts and thinkers. Would be interested in this same style of book but specifically for deeper dives that expand on certain themes identified within chapters, such as pragmatic feminist theory. Leaves more to be desired…would have appreciated a bit more on key theories such as Marxism, Queer Theory, Feminist Theory, Critical Race Theory, Existentialism… only two of these (Marxism and Feminist Theory) were very briefly mentioned towards the end of the book. However, this is a decent starting point. Author’s writing was succinct and chapters were well organized.

[Mario Joaquín · Rating 4 out of 5]

An incredible and approachable explanation of epistemological evolution