Social Science in Question Toards a Postdisciplinary Frameork [Hardcover]

This major text takes the reader on an intellectual journey starting with the story of modern science and the impact that this has had on social scientific practice, and going on to outline and critically review the major approaches to social scientific

inquiry, ranging from positivism to postmodernism. Throughout, readers are encouraged to think carefully about what it means to: study the social world in a scientific way; make connections between what they do and the everyday lives of the people they study; and look beyond their discipline and think in a postdisciplinary waHow do social scientists study the social world? Is social scientific practice in transformation? Can social science learn from its own past?

This major text takes the reader on an intellectual journey starting with the story of modern science and the impact that this has had on social scientific practice, and going on to outline and critically review the major approaches to social scientific

inquiry, ranging from positivism to postmodernism. Throughout, readers are encouraged to think carefully about what it means to: study the social world in a scientific way; make connections between what they do and the everyday lives of the people they study; and look beyond their discipline and think in a postdisciplinary wa`The strength of this book lies in the demystification of of epistemological and ontological issues to a wide audience. Moreover, it is a stylistic breath of fresh air with comments and diagrams in the margins, chapter activities and readings and a general keywords glossary. In conclusion this book contributes in a stimulating way to the large literature on social philosophy and research methodology. It will be a useful guide and decodelS%