Methodology Books - Page 12

Emergent Methods in Social Research

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Editorial Review:

Emergent Methods in Social Research introduces state-of-the-art social research methods that address the growing methods-theory gap within and across the disciplines. In this text, editors Sharlene Nagy Hesse-Biber and Patricia Leavy combine original, in-depth introductions, previously published articles, and original works to provide readers with a comprehensive view of new and cutting-edge research methods and methodologies.

Key Features:

• Combines theoretical and empirical pieces: Both theoretical and methodological issues at the cutting edge of research are explored. The linking of theoretical and empirical pieces, in addition to the focus on emergent methods, makes this book highly unique to the field.
• Focuses on two sub-topics: Emerging research techniques across disciplines and emerging methods within disciplines are examined. The scope of the work offers a very broad perspective of the possible uses and issues surrounding these techniques and methods. New methods include Listening, the Body, Auto-Ethnography, Biographical-Narrative Approach, Methodology of the Oppressed, Postcolonialism, Poststructuralism, Ethnodrama, and much more.
• Challenges traditional ethnography: Social researchers are encouraged to question traditional forms of knowledge construction within ethnography. Theoretical insights challenge ethnographic researchers to build bridges that link new research questions with innovative ethnographic methods that can address issues of power, authority, and representation in the research process.

Intended Audience:
Perfect for graduate level Introductory and Intermediate Qualitative Research courses across the social sciences particularly Sociology, Political Science, Urban Studies, Anthropology, Communication, Social Work, and relevant Evaluation programs; as well as researchers and professionals interested in having a comprehensive view of new, cutting-edge, or alternative research methods. (20070716)

Treatise on Basic Philosophy: Volume 5: Epistemology & Methodology I: Exploring the World

M. Bunge

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Refreshingly clear and straightforward 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This is eight and last part of Bunge's Treatise on Basic Philosophy. This book can be read separately. All used concepts are fully defined in this book, with pointers into previous Treatise books for the interested reader. The main thread in this book is Bunge's own Normative Ethical theory. As he moulds and applies his theory he contrasts it with alternative approaches that have been used and are used by other philosophers. As being more a system builder than a man of consilience his critique of other ideas is both harsh and refreshing. Bunge's Ethical theory is neither built upon one single existing Ethical theory, nor an attempt to combine existing ethics (such as Parfit is trying in Climbing the Mountain, unpublished). Instead he goes his own way and builds his own unique system. Compared to most other books in this genre, the author is very explicit in his system building. He defines his concepts clearly in a scientific manner; postulates and theorems are posted and proved, and norms are set. If you find some other books on ethics obscure, you will find this book refreshingly clear and straightforward. The writing style is compact and has a good flaw.

Some appetizers:
Bunge gladly jumps into the naturalistic fallacy of G.E Moore (Principia Ethica, 1903) by defining good in terms of values which in turn are defined from needs/wants.

There are moral truths.
Moral facts are for real. Moral facts are social.
Hume's is-ought gap can be crossed.
Metaethical maxim (agathonism): Enjoy life and help live (enjoyable lives)
Summum bonum: the survival of humankind ought to be the supreme good of all human beings.

It is possible and desirable to construct a moral theory such that the following conditions are met.
1. Realism: adjustment to the basic needs and legitimate aspirations of people placed in concrete social situations
2. Social utility: inspire prosocial conduct and progressive social polices, as well as to discourage the antisocial ones.
3. Flexibility: adaptability to new personal and social circumstances
4. Equity: decrease social inequalities
5. Compatibility with best available knowledge of human nature and society.

Moral rights and moral duties are both needed.
Rights implies duties.

A critique of existing ethical theories (this is from chapter 7):
Egoistic ethical theories:
Nihilism (is personally and socially destructible)
Rational egoism (unrealistic, impractical, immoral)
Libertarianism (thin on duties: only duty is to respect other people's rights, overlooks solidarity, mutual help, and participation, without which no social group is viable)
Contractualism (admits duties but scientifically untenable, practically unrealistic, and morally hollow; Rawls is not a genuine contractualist)
Negative Utilitarianism (a form of egoism, no moral content)

Altruistic ethical theories:
Natural law (universalistic and egalitarian but scientifically untenable)
Kant/deontological (some admirable principles: worldliness, altruism, universalism, and egalitarianism; but short on rights, places rules above people, and has too few substantive principles)
Utilitarianism (deficient rather than basically wrong, morally and politically uncommitted, no value theory, no notion of aggregate social utility, no moral code)


Here is a brief oversimplified sketch of the base of Bunge's system. It covers parts of the first two chapters in the book. It applies to humans.
Three sources of value: biological, psychological, social
Needs are defined as follows:
Primary needs: necessary to stay alive.
Secondary needs: necessary to regain health.
Basic needs: primary or secondary needs

Define legitimate want: can be met without hindering any basic need of another person and without endangering the society.

Define values:
1) primary value: contributing to satisfy at least one primary need
2) secondary value: contributing to meeting at least one secondary need
3) tertiary value: contributing to meeting at least one legitimate want
4) quaternary value: contributing to meeting a fancy; i.e a desire that is not a legitimate want
5) basic value: either primary or secondary value

Define good: object that has a primary, secondary, tertiary, or quaternary value

Define state of wellbeing: all basic needs are met.

Define reasonable happy: in a state of wellbeing and free to pursue legitimate wants

Define:
1) Miserable society: lacks resources to meet basic needs of all its members
2) Poor society: can meet basic needs but not legitimate wants of all its members
3) Rich society: meet all legitimate wants and basic needs for all its members

Define just society: every member can attain wellbeing or even reasonably happiness without others suffering from it.

Table of contents:
Part I Values
Chapter 1, Root of Values
Chapter 2, Welfare
Chapter 3, Value theory

Part II Mortals
Chapter 4, Roots of morals
Chapter 5 Morality changes
Chapter 6, Some Moral issues

Part III Ethics
Chapter 7, Types of Ethical Theory
Chapter 8, Ethics Et Alia
Chapter 9, Metaethics

Part IV Action Theory
Chapter 10, Action
Chapter 11, Social Philosophy
Chapter 12, Values and Morals for a viable Future

Learning to Philosophize: A Primer

Del Kiernan-Lewis

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Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

An excellent introduction to the practice of philosophy 5 out of 5 stars.
7 of 8 people found this review helpful.

Del Kiernan-Lewis's primer is the best thing I know for introducing novices to the glories and wonders of doing philosophy. Unlike most such books, this one is clear about both the limits and the possibilities of learning to think philosophically. It's written with clarity and wit.--Paul J. Griffiths, University of Chicago--

A wonderful "primer" 4 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

This is an incredible (but unfortunately costly) way to introduce students to the method of philosophizing in the analytic tradition. I use it as the first book and a recurring theme in all of my introductory philosophy courses and students tell me it is accessible and worthwhile. I only wish I would have found it when I was an undergrad instead of having to "feel" my way through discovering philosophical method.

The section "Living up to your Intellectual Standards" is particularly good and helps students understand that philosophy is a practical skill as well as what they come into the class thinking it is.

My only complaint is that the section on fallacies could be much, much better. I spend nights wishing Kiernan-Lewis would just rewrite that section to catch up to the much better books in that area (e.g. Anthony Weston's "A Rulebook for Arguments"). Even without this revision though, this is a wonderful book to teach which can change people's lives.

Editorial Review:

Highly praised by reviewers for its coverage, accessibility, and usefulness, LEARNING TO PHILOSOPHIZE: A PRIMER provides grounding in philosophical thinking and the issues important in any introductory survey or moral issues course. With topics that are typical for introductory classes, the author guides the students through reading selections critically. Designed to effectively introduce students to the contemporary analytical methods or the process of philosophizing, this concise text is an extremely flexible teaching tool that can be used in combination with classic texts, a coursepack, or a standard textbook.

Chasing Technoscience (Philosophy of Technology)

Donna Haraway, Don Ihde, Bruno Latour, Andrew Pickering

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Continental philosophy and Science & Technology 4 out of 5 stars.
15 of 17 people found this review helpful.

Chasing Technoscience is an excellent volume for anyone interested in the intellectual provocations of Bruno Latour, Donna Haraway, Andrew Pickering,and Don Ihde. The interviews and original pieces found in the first half of the book are immensely informative and finely crafted.
The comparative pieces comprising the second half of the text are quite illuminating in their depth and scope. Because the volume is carefully organized, it is conducive to critically broadening one's perspective on how phenomenology, actor-network-theory, and the cultural studies of science relate to one another. Ultimately, this unique volume will be remembered for initiating of a long overdue and valuable dialogue between Continental philosophy and Science and Technology Studies.

Editorial Review:

Chasing Technoscience brings together four prominent figures who make technoscience, or science embodied in its technologies, a central theme of their work. Through lively personal interviews and substantive essays, the ideas of Andrew Pickering, Don Ihde, Donna Haraway, and Bruno Latour are brought to bear on the question of materiality in technoscience. The work of these theorists is then compared and critiqued in essays by colleagues.

Modal Logic for Philosophers

James W. Garson

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Superb Introduction to Modal Logic 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 4 people found this review helpful.

This is a superb introduction to modal logic. It is clear, rigorous, engaging, and full of exercises. Prof. Garson's method of diagrams is especially helpful in "visualizing" modal arguments and proofs. I would enthusiastically recommend this book to any philosophy or math students who are interested in the subject. It is destined to be a classic text!

Editorial Review:

Designed for use by philosophy students, this book provides an accessible, yet technically sound treatment of modal logic and its philosophical applications. Every effort has been made to simplify the presentation by using diagrams in place of more complex mathematical apparatus. These and other innovations provide philosophers with easy access to a rich variety of topics in modal logic, including a full coverage of quantified modal logic, non-rigid designators, definite descriptions, and the de-re de-dictio distinction. Discussion of philosophical issues concerning the development of modal logic is woven into the text. The book uses natural deduction systems and also includes a diagram technique that extends the method of truth trees to modal logic. This feature provides a foundation for a novel method for showing completeness, one that is easy to extend to systems that include quantifiers.

What Are the Odds: The Chances of Extraordinary Events in Everyday Life

Jefferson Hane Weaver

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What Are The Odds: The Chances of Extraordinary Events 4 out of 5 stars.
5 of 8 people found this review helpful.

This is one of the funniest and most informative books I've ever read about one of the most mundane and potentially boring topics ever. Jefferson Hane Weaver takes a "boring as watching paint dry" subject and makes it entertaining, informative and (believe it or not) a page-turner. Basically, I learned a littel bit about "Odds" and laughed my ass off in the process.

Well Done Mr. Weaver.

Editorial Review:

Every day we are barraged with statistics about the chances of success and health risks, but to most of us all these numbers and percentages mean very little. If you're curious about how statistics can significantly impact your life, this lighthearted whirlwind tour of probability has everything you need.

Not only will you be amused by Jefferson Hane Weaver's many entertaining examples, but you'll actually learn how statistics work. Even the most math-phobic individual won't be able to resist delving into the many provocative topics covered, including the chances of: getting into an Ivy League school, finding the perfect mate, winning the lottery, engaging in a menage a trois, being audited, becoming a star, or dying on the job.

Weaver proves that statistics can be fun and that knowing the probabilities for any given situation can help you avoid risks and increase your chances of a successful and enjoyable life.

Epistemology: 5 Questions

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Editorial Review:

Epistemology: 5 Questions is a collection of short interviews based on 5 questions presented to some of the most influential and prominent scholars in epistemology. We hear their views on epistemology with particular emphasis on the intersection between mainstream and formal approaches to the field, the aim, scope, the future direction of epistemology and how their work fits in these respects.

Complexity and Analysis

Stewart Umphrey

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Complexity and Analysis 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Complexity and Analysis Outstanding, with clarity and appropriate emphases. Any systems-oriented scholar, researcher, or layman would be wise to enjoy and to study Professor Umphrey's excellent work.

Editorial Review:

Wherever we look, we notice complexity. Philosophically, the concept constitutes a tangled web of problems, in theory as well as in daily life. This volume is a meticulous rendering of these problems, tackling the seldom-considered nature of complexity that confronts ontological analysts and holists alike. Stewart Umphrey describes the limits of analysis as they have come to light within mathematics, the natural sciences and analytic philosophy, explaining how Aristotle came upon, and sought to move beyond, the limits of ontological analysis. In trying to understand any complex entity, Umphrey argues, one succeeds in meeting the criterion of epistemological adequacy. Ranging across an array of subjects including Kantian and Hegelian idealism, this book provides an account of how our own complexity presents not only theoretical problems, but ethical and political dilemmas of great practical significance.

Practising Interdisciplinarity

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Editorial Review:

Academic disciplines provide a framework for the transfer of knowledge from one generation to the next. Not only do they shape our education and understanding, they structure our professional lives. Interdisciplinarity, the reconfiguration of academic disciplines and the boundaries between them, has lately become a field of major interest to scholars and policy makers. This collection brings together the latest research and analysis from this emerging field.

The editors take as their central thesis the idea that the existing matrix of disciplines is dissolving, leading to fundamental changes in the traditional order of knowledge. Contributors to the volume include specialists from Canada, Australia, Europe, and the United States who focus on the actual practice of interdisciplinarity: the ways in which it is researched, organized, and taught in institutes and universities around the world. The role of funding bodies is also considered, revealing the relationship and the delineation of disciplines and their resource bases. Together, the essays offer first-hand insights into the operations and successes of some of the world's foremost interdisciplinary research centres. In acquainting us with the current state of interdisciplinary research the volume also considers the social and economic contexts that make such research possible.

On the Use of Philosophy: Three Essays

Jacques Maritain

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