Social Work Research Methods: Qualitative and Quantitative Applications

by W. Lawrence Neuman, Larry W. Kreuger

This comprehensive text contains introductory/intermediate coverage of qualitative and quantitative social work research and evaluation applications for undergraduate and graduate social work students. Adapted from Neuman's best-selling text, Social Research Methods, this text shows students that social work research does not take place in a vacuum-that the social and political context of the social work field will affect how they conduct their research. Balanced between quantitative and qualitative approaches to research, this new text places great emphasis on diversity and ethics in research.

Genres: Sociology, Textbooks, Nonfiction, Science, Research, Library Science, Academic

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1991

Reviews

[Aslihan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I use this book for my Research Methods class. It’s very comprehensive book for beginner level social sciences, it provides simple, easy to follow steps and plenty of examples. The book warns researchers of possible shortcomings in research, ethical concerns during research and other points of concern. However, the book is rather descriptive and didactic for advanced level researchers. There is limited insight on disciplinary variation in the use of research methods. Also limited information on interdisciplinary approaches in research. Instead the book focuses more on techniques and less on innovative research practices.

[Letitia · Rating 2 out of 5]

So effing dry and info-dense. I simply did not absorb the material because there was so much of it, and presented in an extremely academic way. The best thing he does is give examples of the types of research, but those are few.

[Eren Buğlalılar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alanında bir numara. Okunurluğu çok yüksek. Üstelik yazarının sosyalist eğilimleri olduğu belli.

[Desi Oktavia]

i need this book. really really need this good book. please be more easy

[Nicolas Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Solid textbook! Very accessible and great graphics to help explain text and other elements of related information. I also appreciated the conclusion and question sections for each chapter. Top notch textbook.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good overview.

[Annisa Arsyad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recommended for early-stage social researchers!

[Jennifer Churchill · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the best online textbook I've ever encountered. Plus it was outcome based!
Swoon

[Atika · Rating 4 out of 5]

A useful book that cleared out a lot of confusion and it’s easy to read too. Ofc another assigned reading.

[Azel Bimarajasa]

Akhirnya menamatkan Neuman!!!

[Christina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good over view.

[Kiri · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was definitely a useful reference for my library science course on research methods. From a broader perspective, the book also opened my mind to entirely new and different ways of doing research that I'd never encountered before, such as case studies and "interpretive" or "constructionist" research. The chapter on survey research was especially useful.

[Yiling · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first four chapters were heavy and verbose, no doubt, but things speed up significantly in the subsequent chapters. Not the most concise or efficient textbook but I do appreciate the summary tables and review questions. It's so thorough, if you didn't get anything, it probably isn't Neuman's fault.

[Masum-ul_haque · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have heard from one of my friends that this book is a unique one to be used by the beginners of research. I am very much interested in doing research. But still I did not do any research by my own. That is why I need this book to read.

[Aun · Rating 4 out of 5]

knowledge able

[Crystal Hutchinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is slow reading; in order to fully grasps the concepts and approaches of social research. I learned a LOT from this book.

[Yeva · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very informative, but not for the faint of heart.

[Amanda Richards · Rating 3 out of 5]

Starts out kind of slow, but is very informative. Definitely good for a reference book.

[Pedro Rosas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Basic to start research

[Samar Almossa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I only read chapter 4 about the meanings of methodology and different research approaches.

[Atta]

This book is awesome.

[Imran Ali]

W. Lawrence Neuman

[Rabia Hussain]

just want to read the book

[Anita]

i as a social science researcher this book is very useful for me to find out the proper methodology for my research.

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

It serves its purpose.

[Solomon]

.

[Malik Awan]

good

[Ridhorahman]

Dalam proses menjadi bagian dari ilmu pengetahuan, ilmu sosial menapaki jalan saintifik agar bisa diterima secara umum. Oleh karenanya, metode kuantitatif lebih dulu dikembangkan lewat pengetesan teori dengan menguji relasi antarvariabel yang diteliti. Bahkan, Neuman menilai, adaptasi dan peniruan terhadap sains dilakukan sebanyak mungkin kepada ilmu fisika, biologi, kimia, dst (hlm. 96). Namun, seiring berjalan, ketidakpuasan muncul lantaran objektivikasi manusia sebagai pusat penelitian sangat berbeda tipikalnya dibanding sains. Manusia mempunyai kemampuan berpikir dan belajar yang tak bisa disamakan dengan objek alam. Oleh karenanya, perlu adanya penyesuaian bahkan pemisahan terhadap objek keilmuan yang kemudian diakui sebagai social science.
Berbeda dengan ilmu eksak, ilmu sosial menggunakan pendekatan tertentu dalam menjalankan suatu riset ilmu sosial. Neuman menjelaskan lima pendekatan yang berkembang di ilmu sosial: positivist social science, interpretive social science, critical social
science, feminist, dan postmodernism. Tiga pendekatan pertama dijelaskannya lewat simplifikasi sepuluh poin pertanyaan yang berkaitan dengan cara pandangan mengenai realitas, kebenaran, dan makna nilai dalam social scientific science.
Pendekatan positivis dalam ilmu sosial meyerupai cara pandang yang digunakan dalam penelitian ilmu alam. Bahkan bisa dikatakan, pendekatan ini telah dimulai sejak diskursus tentang filfasat ilmu (hlm. 97). Penelitian dengan pendekatan ini bertujuan untuk mendapat penjelasan ilmiah terhadap perilaku manusia. Positivis melihat realitas sosial sebagai fenomena tunggal yang dapat digeneralisasi sebab-akibatnya di berbagai tempat. Kata kunci dalam pendekatan positivis adalah penelusuran kausalitas, observasi empiris, dan riset bebas nilai.
Mengenai pendekatan interpretatif, Neuman mengaitkannya dengan konsep hermeneutika yang berkaitan dengan proses interpretasi empatis pada objek studi. Mengutip Marx Weber, Neuman mengatakan bahwa we must learn the personal reasons or motives that
shape a person’s internal feelings and guide decisions to act in particular ways (hlm. 103) untuk mengerti setiap elemen dalam bangunan pemahaman yang utuh. Interpretive social science (ISS) terbagi dalam: hermeneutics, constructionism, ethnomethodology, cognitive, idealist, phenomenological, subjectivist, and qualitative sociology (hlm. 103). Pendekatan interpretatif bertujuan untuk memahami kehidupan sosial dan cara manusia membentuk meaning dalam kehidupan (hlm. 104).
Pendekatan selanjutnya adalah critical social science (CSS) atau yang dikenal dengan teori kritis. Pendekatan kritis lahir sebagai upaya bantahan terhadap dua pendekatan yang ada sebelumnya (positivis dan interpretatif). Bagi pendekatan kritis, sebuah penelitian ilmu sosial tidak sesederhana mempelajari fenomena tetapi untuk mengubah (memperbaiki) dunia. Pendekatan kritis melakukan kritik dan mebawa misi transformasi sosial dengan menyingkap realitas ketidaksetaraan, relasi kekuasaan, dan kontrol sosial yang terjadi di masyarakat. Pandangan-pandangan Karl Marx tentang kapitalisme dan upayanya dalam membangun gagasan marxist merupakan salah satu contoh pendekatan kritis dalam ilmu sosial.
Selanjutnya, Neuman menjelaskan tentang riset feminist dan postmodernism yang merevisi pandangan ISS dan CSS. Feminist research adalah pekerjaan penelitian yang mengoreksi dominasi perspektif laki-kali dengan cara memberikan ruang bagi suara wanita. Pendekatan ini menilai bahwa wanita belajar dan berekspresi dengan cara yang berbeda dibanding pria. Baginya penelitian, terutama positivis, merepresentasikan cara pandang laki-laki yang objective, logical, task oriented, and instrumental (hlm. 118) lantaran dominannya laki-laki dalam dunia riset. Dengan intervensi perspektif wanita, suatu penelitian diharapkan mampu membawa nilai-nilai feminisme.
Terakhir, Neuman menjelaskan tentang riset postmodernism yang mengoreksi cara pandang aliran modernism tentang asumsi, keyakinan, dan nilai yang mulai berkembang pada Abad Pencerahan Eropa. Peneliti postmodern melihat pentingnya kaitan antara seni, musik, sastra, dan kritisme kultural dengan social science. Pandangannya mirip dengan pendekatan kritis yang mendekonstruksi struktur sosial yang ada. Namun, ia lebih mengarah pada pembongkaran struktur baku dari ilmu sosial itu sendiri (hlm. 119). Menurut pandangan penganut postmodern, ilmu pengetahuan tidak mesti disampaikan lewat artikel jurnal ilmiah. Ia bisa diekspresikan lewat cerita singkat, pelakonan, atau musik yang pada gilirannya menstimulasi pengalaman orang yang berinteraksi dengannya.