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Research Paper | Social Science | Sri Lanka | Volume 7 Issue 10, October 2018
Pluralism: Research Methodology for Social Sciences
MM Jayawardena [5] | WAAK Amaratunga [3]
Abstract: Social sciences include a variety of important subjects related to human behavior, and the knowledge in social sciences matter in day to day human activities both at micro and macro levels, though it is not as precise as that of natural sciences. Partly as a result of this, knowledge construction in social sciences needs to link up with philosophical roots while addressing on appropriate methodology. Generally, the subject matter investigated in social sciences is multidisciplinary in nature because of the multiple linkages of factors of a selected social issue. In order to carry out a research on a selected topic, there is a need to address on different methodologies and methods to analyze and assess identified dimensions of the issue. Without a holistic understanding of many facets of the evolving process related to the issue and their interaction with one another, selecting an appropriate methodology and dealing with different dimensions of the problem is difficult. Therefore, a model to bridge knowledge gaps in the evolving process and their retrospective and prospective linkages with objectivism and subjectivism in relation to different paradigms, i. e. positivism, interpritivism, radical humanism and radical structuralism with a focus on pluralism, is important in identifying the scope of a social science research. As per the study, pluralism which allows for social science researchers to have an open access for exploring the appropriate research methodology, research methods and analytical tools help the researcher to conduct more productive research while addressing on deliveries towards social progress in a stable and consistent manner.
Keywords: Social sciences, natural sciences, objectivism, subjectivism, positivism, interpretivism, radical humanism, radical structuralism, pluralism
Edition: Volume 7 Issue 10, October 2018,
Pages: 979 - 984