Methodology for the Human Sciences: Systems of Inquiry
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Book Overview
Methodology for the Human Sciences addresses the growing need for a comprehensive textbook that surveys the emerging body of literature on human science research and clearly describes procedures and methods for carrying out new research strategies. It provides an overview of developing methods, describes their commonalities and variations, and contains practical information on how to implement strategies in the field. In it, Donald Polkinghorne calls for a renewal of debate over which methods are appropriate for the study of human beings, proposing that the results of the extensive changes in the philosophy of science since 1960 call for a reexamination of the original issues of this debate.
The book traces the history of the deliberations from Mill and Dilthey to Hempel and logical positivism, examines recently developed systems of inquiry and their importance for the human sciences, and relates these systems to the practical problems of doing research on topics related to human experience. It discusses historical realism, systems and structures, phenomenology and hermeneutics, action theory, and the implications recent systems have for a revised human science methodology.
The book traces the history of the deliberations from Mill and Dilthey to Hempel and logical positivism, examines recently developed systems of inquiry and their importance for the human sciences, and relates these systems to the practical problems of doing research on topics related to human experience. It discusses historical realism, systems and structures, phenomenology and hermeneutics, action theory, and the implications recent systems have for a revised human science methodology.
Format:Paperback
Language:English
ISBN:0873956648
ISBN13:9780873956642
Release Date:June 1984
Publisher:State University of New York Press
Length:364 Pages
Weight:1.25 lbs.
Dimensions:0.8" x 6.0" x 9.0"
Customer Reviews
1 rating
Solid, informative, and what you want in a good textbook
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 21 years ago
The aim of this book is to provide the reader with a comprehensive textbook that surveys the emerging body of research literature, and clearly describes procedures and methods for carrying out new research. (From the back cover) This book does that and more. While most historical overviews will cover the major personages and movements, Polkinghorn does so with easy-to-understand and adequate descriptions so you get a good idea how of the field of science, and its methods have shifted through the years. His work served me like a tour guide, and filled in the gaps in my thinking about the historical unfolding drama in science, and their seminal figures. What I got out of the book was the courage and freedom to explore new areas of qualitative research, and not worry about conforming my research to some illusionary image of what I thought science what to be about all about. The book is a dense read, but will serve as a good foundational text in and out of the classroom for those who want to understand research in the human sciences.
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