1 / 17

Paradigms

Paradigms. Or, “Twenty Cent”. Findings Without Explanation?. Babbie  Ma’s Diner Example What to make of funky polling results (A Ma’s diner poll has predicted the last 10 presidential elections). The Problem? No explanation, theory, or logic for why that happens

hector-garza
Download Presentation

Paradigms

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Paradigms Or, “Twenty Cent”

  2. Findings Without Explanation? • Babbie  Ma’s Diner Example • What to make of funky polling results (A Ma’s diner poll has predicted the last 10 presidential elections). • The Problem? No explanation, theory, or logic for why that happens • Could just as easily be a random process

  3. Logical, Theoretical Explanations:The WHY • Allow us to predict future events with more certainty • Shed light on solutions to problems • Every theory has a policy implication • Shape/direct future research • Inspire new research questions • Provide a framework to examine a new area of inquiry

  4. What is a “Paradigm” • A Fundamental model, or frame of reference for looking at the world • Assumed, implicit, often unconscious • The paradigm is often “not seen” until it changes (in retrospect we may recognize it). • Non-science example: The Auto Industry • Babbie’s Social Science Examples • An “objective reality” versus postmodernism • Sanctity of the individual versus community • Physical Science Examples • Darwin’s Evolution, Newtonian Mechanics…

  5. Benefits of Recognizing a Social Science Paradigm • We can better understand views and actions that otherwise make no sense • By “stepping outside” the paradigm, new and interesting possibilities may emerge

  6. Paradigms in Social Science • Early Positivism • Conflict Paradigm • Ethnomethodolgoy • Structural Functionalism • Feminist Paradigms

  7. Is “Rational Objectivity” Attainable? • Humans often portrayed as “rational” in economics and criminology • But….are we really all that rational? • The Asch Experiment • Note: Asch did manage to study “irrational behavior” in a scientific (rational) manner • Can humans (scientists) be “objective?” • The Sherif’s “flashlight” study

  8. Macro/Micro • A way to classify theories that “cuts across” various paradigms • Macro  Aggregates (“rates”) • Micro  Individuals

  9. Positivists v. Postmodernists:The Dual Irony • Positivists believe that there is a “real, objective” reality • This must, in the end, be based on faith. • Postmodernist insistence that “nothing is objectively so,” • In other words, a lack of objectivity is really the way things are. • Regardless of whether some concept “exists,” we can still do research because people agree that it exits.

  10. Implications of All of this for Science • Recognize that Scientists are Human • Rationality? • Objectivity? • Steven Hawkins Quote

  11. A Traditional Model of Science • A DEDUCTIVE model • Theory  Operationalization  Formulate Hypothesis  Observation/Test • Operational Definition • Hypothesis • Observation

  12. An alternative to the “traditional” model • Inductive Model • Start with findings of some sort • Exploratory survey, weird research findings that don’t correspond to the theory in the original (deductive) test. • Make sense out of the pattern in the findings by extending an existing theory, or creating a new theory. • BE CAREFUL: These conclusions must be tentative—the original observations should not be used as a “test” of the theory.

  13. The “Wheel of Science” • Induction and Deduction can (and often are) part of the same scientific process

  14. Constructing Theory • Specify the topic & scope • Identify major concepts/variables • Find out what is known about your concepts/variables • Reason logically from that body of research to your specific topic

  15. Theory and the “REAL WORLD” • EVERY theory (scientific and non-scientific) has a policy implication • EVERY policy implication is derived from some (scientific or not) theory.

  16. Citation of Sources • What’s the big deal? • Plagiarism • Intellectual Property • Knowledge Building/Research

  17. Citation Formats • APA Style • In-text citation • Reference page http://www.d.umn.edu/socanth/home/guideind.php

More Related