Posted by In the social sciences, there are three approaches to methodology: positivist, interpretative, and critical social science. The positivist approach, according to William Neumann, is the most widely used and is based on natural science approaches. Auguste Comte (1798-1857) was the first to utilize this approach in the social sciences, and Emile Durkheim (1858-1917) later elaborated on it (Neumann 2003; Smith 1983). The positivist method is most closely associated with quantitative social science research and seeks objectivity. It is maintained that the findings of the social sciences can only be legitimate and credible if they follow the models specified by the natural sciences. In terms of social science, positivism, according to Neumann, can be characterized as "an structured approach for determining what is true."
Max Weber founded interpretive social science, which aims to uncover the meaning behind social action. Hermeneutics, constructionism, ethnomethodology, and qualitative sociology are all examples of interpretivism. This school of thought contends that natural science methods are insufficient for examining the meaning behind human action, and hence the social sciences cannot be evaluated using them (Lee 1991). As previously said, this method focuses on meaning. As a result, qualitative research is frequently regarded as an interpretive technique. "The systematic investigation of socially relevant action through direct detailed observation of individuals in natural settings in order to arrive at understandings and interpretations of how people form and maintain their social worlds," Neumann defines the interpretive approach (2003, p. 77).
Emoticon