The Foundations of Social Research

Michael Crotty is in the Department of Public Health at The Flinders University of South Australia.

Choosing a research method can be bewildering. How can you be sure which methodology is appropriate, or whether your chosen combination of methods is consistent with the theoretical perspective you want to take? This book links methodology and theory with great clarity and precision, showing students and researchers how to navigate the maze of conflicting terminology.

• IntroductionPositivismThe March of ScienceConstructionismThe Making of MeaningInterpretivismFor and against CultureInterpretivismThe Way of HermeneuticsCritical InquiryThe Marxist HeritageCritical InquiryContemporary Critics and Contemporary CritiqueFeminismRe-Visioning the Man-Made WorldPostmodernismCrisis of Confidence or Moment of Truth?Conclusion