Key Concepts in the Philosophy of Social Research (SAGE Key Concepts series)

“This is a splendid book, providing a readable and reliable guide to a very large range of topics and literature... the author brings together, as few of us can, the details of research methodology and practice with broader philosophical perspectives and approaches.” - William Outhwaite, Emeritus Professor, Newcastle University "We need researchers who are philosophically informed rather than philosophically obsessed or philosophically oppressed. With this book Malcolm Williams strikes the exact balance." - Ray Pawson, Emeritus Professor, University of Leeds This book is an ideal introduction for any student or social researcher hoping to better understand the philosophical issues that inform social research. Williams is the perfect guide providing short focused introductions to key concepts alongside a persuasive and engaging overview of how we interpret and conduct research. The book covers everything from core research methods, to ethical concerns and an exploration of the metaphysics of social life, with each entry providing: Clear definitions Engaging real world examples Up-do-date suggestions for further reading Informative cross-referencing Lists of key thinkers. Relevant and authoritative, this book is an indispensable introduction to the philosophy of social research. “This is a splendid book, providing a readable and reliable guide to a very large range of topics and literature... the author brings together, as few of us can, the details of research methodology and practice with broader philosophical perspectives and approaches.” **__- William Outhwaite, Emeritus Professor, Newcastle University__** This book is an ideal introduction for any student or social researcher hoping to better understand the philosophical issues that inform social research. Williams is the perfect guide providing short focused introductions to key concepts alongside a persuasive and engaging overview of how we interpret and conduct research. The book covers everything from core research methods, to ethical concerns and an exploration of the metaphysics of social life, with each entry providing: Relevant and authoritative, this book is an indispensable introduction to the philosophy of social research. KEY CONCEPTS IN THE PHILOSOPHY OF SOCIAL RESEARCH- FRONT COVER 1 KEY CONCEPTS IN THE PHILOSOPHY OF SOCIAL RESEARCH 2 COPYRIGHT 5 CONTENTS 8 ABOUT THE AUTHOR 10 INTRODUCTION 12 CAUSALITY 22 COMPLEXITY 28 CONTINGENCY AND NECESSITY 35 EMPIRICISM 43 EPISTEMOLOGY 47 ETHICS AND MORALITY 53 EXPERIMENTS 58 EXPLANATION 64 FALSIFICATION 72 FEMINISM 79 FUNCTIONALISM 87 GENERALISATION AND LAWS 93 HYPOTHESIS(ES) 99 IDEALISM 105 INDIVIDUALISM AND HOLISM 112 INDUCTION 117 INTERPRETATION AND MEANING 121 LANGUAGE 128 LOGIC AND TRUTH 134 MATERIALISM 141 MECHANISMS AND MODELS 147 OBJECTIVITY – SUBJECTIVITY 154 OBSERVATION 160 ONTOLOGY 165 POSITIVISM 171 POSTMODERNISM 176 PRAGMATISM 182 PROBABILITY 187 RATIONALITY 194 REALISM 201 RELATIVISM 207 SOCIAL CONSTRUCTIONISM 214 STATISTICS 221 THEORY 229 TIME 236 "This book is an ideal introduction for any student or social researcher hoping to better understand the philosophical issues that inform social research. Williams is the perfect guide providing short focused introductions to key concepts alongside a persuasive and engaging overview of how we interpret and conduct research."--Publisher's website Providing concise, focussed introductions to everything from the central research methods, to ethics, to metaphysics, and with helpful features such as real-world examples, cross-references and lists of key thinkers, this guide is an ideal introduction