Ways of Knowing: Interpretivism and Positivism (Week 3)

These flashcards cover key definitions, historical figures, philosophical assumptions, critiques, and social-work implications of positivism and interpretivism presented in Week 3’s lecture and readings.

Within research philosophy, what four broad questions shape how we investigate the world?

Cosmology, ontology, epistemology, and ethics.

What does cosmology examine in the context of research?

The nature of the world or cosmos and how it works.

What is the main focus of ontology?

The nature of reality—whether it is singular or multiple, predetermined or constructed.

Define epistemology in one sentence.

Epistemology concerns what counts as knowledge and how we can know something.

Which research philosophy claims that the scientific method can identify truth and fact about the social world?

Positivism.

Name the 19th-century French sociologist commonly associated with positivism.

Auguste Comte (1798–1857).

According to positivism, social phenomena operate under the same laws as which realm?

The natural or physical world.

What model of reasoning is central to positivist research?

Deductive reasoning (hypothetico-deductive model).

Describe the basic steps of the hypothetico-deductive model in order.

Use theory to build a hypothesis, design and perform an experiment, test the hypothesis, and use findings to inform or refine theory.

In positivism, what is the ultimate goal of generating explanatory associations or causal relationships?

Prediction and control of phenomena.

Which term refers to the belief that reliable knowledge comes only from direct sensory experience?

Empiricism.

List three core values or attributes positivism claims for the knowledge it produces.

Objectivity, validity, and certainty (value-free or unbiased knowledge).

What general research approach is most commonly aligned with positivism?

Quantitative methodology.

Positivism often links to which historical intellectual movement that emphasized reason and progress?

The Enlightenment.

Identify one major internal critique scientists have leveled against positivism.

Its claims to absolute objectivity and certainty have been challenged, leading to more modest, probabilistic claims.

What philosophy challenges positivism by emphasizing multiple truths and the meanings people assign to their experiences?

Interpretivism.

Which decades saw the rise of the 'interpretive turn' in social research?

1950s–1970s.

Interpretivism holds that knowledge is always and produced through .

Partial; interpretation.

According to interpretivism, why are natural-science methods often inappropriate for studying humans?

Humans actively create meanings, making reductionist, variable-based approaches insufficient.

Which broad intellectual movement is interpretivism closely linked to?

Postmodernism.

What does Ann Hartman mean by the 'insurrection of subjugated knowledges'?

Bringing marginalized or disqualified forms of knowledge (e.g., indigenous, client perspectives) into legitimacy.

How does Foucault describe the relationship between knowledge and power?

Knowledge and power are intertwined; producing 'truth' is an exercise of power and vice versa.

In interpretivist research, what role should the researcher adopt instead of 'expert'?

Naïve inquirer or collaborative partner seeking participants’ meanings.

State two common qualitative methods associated with interpretivism.

In-depth interviewing and participant observation.

What reasoning style is most often linked to interpretivist, qualitative studies?

Inductive reasoning (building concepts and theory from data).

Give one critique positivists make of interpretivist research.

It is subjective and findings cannot be generalized beyond the specific context studied.

Conversely, what critique do interpretivists make of positivist research?

It is reductionistic, oversimplifying complex human experiences by focusing on measurable variables only.

Define 'subjugated knowledge' in one phrase.

Knowledge marginalized or dismissed as illegitimate by dominant scientific discourses.

What does the phrase 'global unitary knowledges' refer to?

Universally claimed truths produced through scientific methods that marginalize local or indigenous knowledges.

Explain why the quantitative/qualitative distinction is not identical to the positivist/interpretivist divide.

A study can be quantitative yet non-positivist, or qualitative yet positivist, depending on underlying assumptions about objectivity, validity, and generalizability.

In social work, why is critical thinking about sources of knowledge essential?

Reliance on tradition, authority, or anecdote can mislead practice; critical evaluation ensures decisions are based on the best available evidence.

List two practical reasons social workers need research skills, according to Krysik & Finn.

To secure or maintain program funding and to demonstrate intervention effectiveness for accountability.

What danger exists when social workers rely solely on their role as 'experts' without client collaboration?

They may unintentionally disempower clients and perpetuate power imbalances.

Why does contemporary post-positivism emphasize striving for objectivity rather than assuming it?

Researchers acknowledge that values, politics, and ideologies inevitably influence studies, so objectivity is an ideal to pursue, not a given attribute.

Complete the quote: 'If you cannot measure the client’s problem, .'

'…it does not exist; if you cannot measure the client’s problem you cannot treat it.' (Walter Hudson, 1978).

What is the central mission of social work, as per the NASW Code of Ethics, that shapes its approach to research?

To enhance human well-being and meet basic human needs, especially for vulnerable and oppressed populations.