The Leading eBooks Store Online
for your Apple or Android device, Nook, Kobo, PC, Mac, Sony Reader...
Realism and Sociology
Anti-Foundationalism, Ontology and Social Research
Add to cart
US$ 41.95
(+ tax)
Preview (read now)
Add to my own site
Buy multiple copies
Give this ebook to a friend
Add to my wishlist
Author's page
Publisher's page
Devices
- iPad
- Smart phones
- PC
- e-readers with Adobe Digital Editions installed
- Mac
See the full list
Available Devices
X
This book is available for the following devices:
- iPad
- Windows
- Mac
- Sony Reader
- Cool-er Reader
- Nook
- Kobo Reader
- iRiver Story
- Palm-based devices
- Windows Mobile PDAs and phones
- Symbian-based (Nokia etc) phones
- Blackberry
- iLiad
- eBookMan
- Cybook and other ebook reader devices (excluding Kindle)
File Formats
Download: PDF or MobiPocket.
You can also read this book online in eb20 format without having to download anything.
You can also read this book online in eb20 format without having to download anything.
Permissions
Printing
Copy/Paste
Read Aloud
Printing
Copy/Paste
Read Aloud
more
In recent years, methodological debates in the social sciences have increasingly focused on issues relating to epistemology. Realism and Sociology makes an original contribution to the debate, charting a middle ground between postmodernism and positivism.Critics often hold that realism tries to assume some definitive account of reality. Against this it is argued throughout the book that realism can combine a strong definition of social reality with an anti-foundational approach to knowledge. The position of realist anti-foundationalism that is argued for is developed and defended via the use of immanent critiques. These deal primarily with post-Wittgensteinian positions that seek to define knowledge and social reality in terms of 'rule-following practices' within different 'forms of life' and 'language games'. Specifically, the argument engages with Rorty's neo-pragmatism and the structuration theory of Giddens. The philosophy of Popper is also drawn upon in a critically appreciative way.
While the positions of Rorty and Giddens seek to deflate the claims of 'grand theory', albeit in different ways, they both end up with definitive claims about knowledge and reality that preclude social research. By avoiding the general deflationary approach that relies on reference to 'practices', realism is able to combine a strong social ontology with an anti-foundational epistemology, and thus act as an underlabourer for empirical research.
Routledge; September 2002
184 pages; ISBN 9780203116708
Read online, or download in secure PDF format or MobiPocket
184 pages; ISBN 9780203116708
Read online, or download in secure PDF format or MobiPocket
Subject categories
ISBNs
9781134506071
9781134506064
9780415261906
9780203116708
0203116704
