General Comments fr. last assign.

1. What is a problem?a. Not stating a question indicating what you

would like to do

b. Not a question

c. Not how a problem fits to a theory/perspectice (the other way round)

d. But it is an open ended research question that has some in-built tension.

Project Work Seminar, 3

Outline1. Feed-back on the problem formulation2. An exercise on formulating problems3. The linkage between problem and method4. Feed-back on method.5. Corrie on method6. Next seminar – sign up for a meeting +

mail us some questions.

What is Method

1. Not we are going to:1. use theory x – and full stop.

2. make a comparative analysis – and full stop

3. make an empirical analysis of country x – and full stop

4. Use opinion polls – and full stop.

What is Method then?

Explaining how you are going to investigate the problem:– To argue how and why you are going to use theory ’x’

– How and why you are going to make an comparative analysis

– Use opinion polls/an analysis of a country

– Consider to which extent your problem is operational (how far can you come using to studies of others; do you need to make your own empirical work; is your problem researchable?)

Problems with Problems1. Why the EU environmental policies will be challenged from the

Eastward Enlargement?2. Why hasn’t there been a spillover of pro-EMU attitudes into

UK public opinion?3. Is there a correlation between the of GDP % invested in Social

Capital building institutions in developing countries and development?

4. Considering the lack of development in CEEC civil society, how is it possible for the NGO(s) in the region/country to implement sustainable development policy within the EU implementation model?

5. Why are Norway and Iceland not already members in the European Union?

6. What are the diffuculties of making Turkey the member of European Union, both from the European Union and Turkish perspectives?

7. To what extent can the European Union be said to show signs of ‘actorness’ in trade and political matters?

Problems with Problems1. What are the impacts of HIV/AIDS stigimitization on human

development in Botswana?2. Can GIS technology increase revenue through urban property

taxation in Ethiopia?3. Are the concepts of Global Compact, Global Reporting

Initiative and Corporate Social Responsability?4. Are the health conditions for Afghani IDPs different from the

health condition of members of the general population in Afghanistan?

5. To what extent are the criteria for a viable state entity met by the Palestinian Authority and what are the internal obstacles to the practability of such an appartus in the Occupied Territories?

6. Why is Western medicine not being acknowledged and/or utilized in developing countries?

7. How should the security policies be reformulated to preserve peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula?

METHODOLOGY

Project Work Seminar II

Method is…

A specific technique for data collection under certain philosophical assumptions.

The practical work that lies between the theoretical framework and the analysis

Methodology is…The study of methods, it deals with the philosophical

assumptions underlying the research process.

It is the philosophical basis for method:– Positivism– Interpretative approaches

An explicit argument for your choice of theoretical framework - Epistemology

A reflection of your view of an academic problem - Ontology

Academic Research Problem

Prob Form

Empirical (Method)

TheoryMethod ology

Analysis

Ontology is..

branch of philosophy concerned with the ultimate nature of existence– Structuralism – Agency / Individualism

Agency:

The actions and motives of human actors in the practice of social conduct

Individualism – the only reality we can grasp is actions of individuals, not classes

Analyze: by looking at what the individual tells us, being able to account for and be aware of the reasons and implications of their actions

Structuralism:

In opposition to the ‘free will’ position, behaviour is produced

Explaining the action according to the structure/context in which it takes place

Predict life chances according to class, race and gender

Ex: Dependency, World Systems

Epistemology is..

the branch of philosophy that is directed toward theories of the sources, nature, and limits of knowledge. – Positivism

• Explaining Facts

– Hermeneutics• Interpretation/Understanding

Positivism..1. Realist or determinist -Hard sciences traditionally

relied on the positivistic approach. Cause and effect laws describing the outside reality.  

2. Objective - observer remains distant and does not interact with the observation or experiment. Values and any other factors that might lead to bias are removed.  

3. Experimental - begins with hypothesis, gather data and test data against hypothesis. Question is initially is tested against empirical data gathered in the experiment under carefully controlled conditions.

Interpretive/Hermenutic..

1. Relativism- knowledge is relative to the observer.

2. Subjective - The inquirer becomes part of an interaction with the subject of the inquiry. The findings are the result of the interaction between the inquirer and the subject.  

3. Hermeneutic or dialectic - Raw data consists of description. Interpretive theory is tested by referring back to human practice within the society.

Positivist vs. Interpretive

Positivist: – strong for examining exterior data that can be utilized in an objective

fashion

– strong philosophy for viewing societal trends and changes limited in its perceptions and can best be used for determining when and to what extent groups in the society interact

– Positivist ooks at the exterior of society

Interpretivist/Hermenutic: – Strong in how and why things are happening in a particular situation

– Subjective approach allows communication with the cultural background of a situation and an understanding of why things operate

– Interpretivist looks at the interior

Positivist vs. Interpretive:

Mormon Child BridesPositivist:

% child brides compared to time parents are in church

Hypothesis: higher % of female children become child brides if their parents were more active in the religion

Data: gathered and tested against hypothesis

Conclusion: data confirmed hypothesis, therefore the more active the parents, the more likely that the child would

participate in the ritual.

Positivist vs. Interpretive:

Mormon Child BridesInterpretivist:

Survey and examine why the girl-child was considered suitable to be a bride and what the union meant to the participants

Data: Qualitative Interviews

Conclusion: would be that the unions were carried out under the guise of being blessed by God in their after life and acted as a right of passage for a girl-child.

Qualitative vs. Quantitative

Quantitative methods are associated with empirical, positivist research– Statistical analysis, describing pop. samples

Qualitative research is associated with ‘anti-positivist’ philosophies, such as interpretivism, ethnography, etc.– Textual records

The Fundamental Method

All research depends upon observation Observation may be direct

– Researcher as observer, recording info

Observation may be indirect– Researcher must rely on reported observations

Choice of Method

Researcher must choose a philosophical approach (positivistic or hermeneutic) within which to work, and must then determine which method is most appropriate for the kind of data collected

Methodology Section must include..

Explicit argument for your choice of theory Explanation of your Empirical Data

– Secondary/Electronic Resources/Statistical data– Primary resources (collection)

• Questionnaires

• Surveys