Questions and Answers
What does the foundationalism/objectivism ontology posit about social reality?
Which epistemological position emphasizes the objective and value-free nature of knowledge?
What is a key criticism of the positivist position according to interpretivism?
What does the term ontology primarily focus on?
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According to the authors, what is regarded as a quality necessary for a good social theory in the positivist viewpoint?
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What is the essence of the anti-foundationalism/constructivism ontology regarding social reality?
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Which perspective argues that social realities exist independently of human interpretation?
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According to the authors, which combination of ontology and epistemology arises from an anti-foundationalist view?
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What do Dixon and Jones (1998) argue about the relationship between ontology and epistemology?
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What term describes the view that social reality is shaped through human interaction?
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Study Notes
Research Paradigms in Political Science
- Two primary research paradigms: ontology (theory of being) and epistemology (theory of knowledge).
- Ontology explores what social reality is, while epistemology investigates what can be known about that reality.
Ontological Positions
- Foundationalism (realism): Asserts that social realities exist independently of human understanding and have intrinsic essences.
- Anti-foundationalism (constructivism): Argues that reality is socially constructed through human interactions, lacking inherent essences and continuously evolving.
Connection Between Ontology and Epistemology
- Foundationalist ontology can lead to positivist or realist epistemologies.
- Anti-foundationalist ontology typically results in interpretivist epistemology.
- Relationship between ontology and epistemology remains contested among scholars.
Contrasting Views on Ontology and Epistemology
- Hay (2006): Asserts that ontology precedes epistemology, stating that epistemology is about knowledge of the social and political world.
- Dixon and Jones (1998): Poststructuralist view that argues ontology is rooted in epistemological assumptions, challenging the priority of ontology over epistemology.
Distinction in Ontological Positions
- Foundationalism/Objectivism: Social reality perceived as a mix of objects existing independently of researchers’ perceptions. Realists advocate for objective truths.
- Anti-foundationalism/Constructivism: Social reality is shaped by social, cultural, and political influences, maintaining validity despite its socially constructed nature.
Epistemological Positions
- Positivism: Knowledge must be objective, value-free, focuses on causal relationships, prediction, and explaining behavior.
- Positivism views good social theory as falsifiable, with potential for studies to contradict predictions (Mutz, 2008).
- Interpretivism: Critiques positivism, suitable for research like deliberative democracy as it values participant understanding and contextual knowledge.
Application in Deliberative Democracy
- Deliberative democracy requires an interpretivist approach to adequately capture the complexity and understanding of participants throughout the research process.
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Description
This quiz covers the definitions and concepts of ontology and epistemology in political science, including their approaches and positions. It outlines the theories of being and knowledge in social reality.
