Lecture: Critical Theory and Constructivism

Ontology

What is the nature of reality? What is the nature of our existence? What is it?

Epistemology

How do we know what we know? How do we get knowledge?

Methodology

How should knowledge be gathered

Critical theory

Criticizes all social practices by linking them to philosophy, provides solutions to injustices, your values and interests will affect your theories, you need to be influences by your subject

Theoretical relfexivity

The researcher can be influenced/affected by their research objects

Constructivism

Discusses how to theorize the relationship between structures and agents, norms are important, reality is subjective, nothing is fixed, discusses the role of human consciousness in politics

Idealism

The main feature of society is social consciousness, human interpretation of the same event differs

Holism

Understanding can be achieved by understanding parts holistically

Ethnographic research

Researchers have first hand observation/interaction with their subjects, ex. living with a tribal group to research them

Rational choice theory

Actors maximize their interests by doing cost benefit analyses, interests are fixed