Ways of Knowing: Competing Methodologies in Social and Political Research

by Jonathon W. Moses

The third edition of this popular, innovative and engaging textbook introduces students to the various methods of modern social science, explaining how these have emerged, their strengths and limitations for understanding the world in which we live, and how it is possible to combine methodological pluralism with intellectual rigour. Focussing on the debate between positivist and constructivist approaches, this new edition features contemporary research examples, expanded discussion of experimental methods, and a new emphasis on methods that have recently grown in popularity, such as process tracing and controlled randomized trials.

This is the perfect textbook for students studying the philosophy of science in the context of political science or the social sciences more broadly, and it is essential reading for all those seeking to understand how different ways of knowing affect the methods we choose to study social phenomena.

New to this
- Contemporary research examples
- A new emphasis on methods that have recently grown in popularity, such as random controlled trials, field experiments, big data and within-case and process tracing studies

Genres: Nonfiction, Sociology

350 pages, Hardcover

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.