Alderson, P;
(2016)
The philosophy of critical realism and childhood studies.
Global Studies of Childhood
, 6
(2)
pp. 199-210.
10.1177/2043610616647640.
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Abstract
Critical realism is a philosophy of social science that analyses and aims to remedy current problems and gaps. Basic tenets of positivist and quantitative research tend to contradict those of qualitative and interpretive research, and critical realism proposes ways to resolve the contradictions. Vital themes in childhood research that are reviewed in this article include a comparison with feminist research, critical realism, being and thought, transitive and intransitive, theory/practice consistency, agency and structure, closed and open systems, micro and macro in the global/local nexus, four planar social being, facts and values, and transformative change through the four-stage MELD dialectic. Critical realism aims to understand the world in order to be able move from coercion towards creative liberating power.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | The philosophy of critical realism and childhood studies |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.1177/2043610616647640 |
| Publisher version: | https://doi.org/10.1177/2043610616647640 |
| Additional information: | © 2017 SAGE Publications |
| Keywords: | Ontology and epistemology, agency and structure, closed and open systems |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education > IOE - Social Research Institute |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/1493886 |
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