Ways of Knowing: Competing Methodologies in Social and Political Research

by Jonathon W. Moses, Torbjorn L. Knutsen

This major new textbook on methodology in social and political science focuses centrally on the debate between positivist and constructivist approaches. It introduces in a lively and accessible way a range of key issues--from the nature of knowledge to the strengths and weaknesses of the main research methods--showing how methodological pluralism can be combined with intellectual rigor.

Genres: Nonfiction, Sociology

330 pages, Paperback

First published May 15, 2007

Reviews

[Özgür Balmumcu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Birkaç yıldır yürüttüğüm metodoloji dersinin üzerine yapılınca benim açımdan çok tamamlayıcı ve tatmin edici bir okuma oldu. Üstelik yazarlar bu alanda yazılan bir kitap için çok akıcı bir dil tutturmayı da başarmışlar. Bir ders kitabı gibi üzerime çökeceğini zannetmiştim ancak çok dinamik bir okuma serüveni sundu. Özellikle sosyal bilimcilerin okuması gerektiğini düşündüğüm çok faydalı bir kitap. Ancak bir miktar metodoloji altyapısı gerektiriyor.

[Steve Whitney · Rating 2 out of 5]

Let's start with the positive, the authors are well-read and it seems that they are both well-regarded researchers in their respective fields. The book is also well-written. But make no mistake, this is a constructionist argument. Naturalism is presented and presented well, but it is presented as a straw man and the second part of the books makes it clear where the authors stand. It is also important to note that neither of the authors are philosophers of science and it shows in that the book as numerous areas of contradiction. I had such high hopes for a neutral examination of different 'ways of knowing' and this book is a strong attempt but it ultimately fails and becomes an argument for constructivism at the expense of naturalism.