POSTPOSITIVIST HERMENEUTIC CRITICAL

GOAL explanation, prediction and

control
to understand how and
why a particular
behavior occurs
to gain knowledge of
social world in order
to change it
ONTOLOGY human behavior is
sufficiently predictable to
be studied systematically .
What is knowable is
based on peoples
interpretation of that
which they know
what is knowable in
the social world is the
product of the
interaction between
structure (the social
worlds rules, norms
and beliefs) and
agency (how humans
behave and interact
in that world).
EPISTEMOLOGY systematic, logical search
for data employing the
scientific method
interaction between the
observer and his or her
community
knowledge is
advanced only when
people and
communities are
freed from the
influence of those
more powerful
AXIOLOGY Objective: keeps
researchers values out of
the search for knowledge.
Subjective: influence of
researchers values play
a very important role
Subjective:
aggressively value
laden
REPRESENTATIONAL representational representational Non representational