
Komparation i kritisk realistisk perspektiv
Author(s) -
Peter Wad
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
dansk sociologi
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2246-4026
pISSN - 0905-5908
DOI - 10.22439/dansoc.v11i3.624
Subject(s) - sociology , epistemology , comparative research , perspective (graphical) , critical realism (philosophy of perception) , critical theory , social science , comparative politics , cultural studies , positive economics , politics , realism , political science , anthropology , philosophy , law , economics , computer science , artificial intelligence
Comparison in a critical realist perspective
With the rise of critical realist social science, time has come to ask whether this approach can enhance comparative methodology in sociology.
This article contends that although critical realist sociologists argue in favour of comparative studies, they are yet to formulate a genuine comparative methodology (paradox 1). They refer to the comparative tradition without scrutinizing it from a critical realist perspective. When such an assessment is made of core comparative methodologies, the conclusion is that postwar comparative sociology has serious methodological flaws which are rooted in Mill’s inductive logic from 1843 and modern empirical-analytical science philosophy (paradox 2). However, a closer examination of Charles Ragin’s quali-tative comparative analysis and Thomas Janoski & Alexander M. Hicks’ new comparative political economy indicates that it is possible to develop a substantial and complex comparative methodology from these contri-butions and even to address the enhanced ’Dalton Problem’ of our time: globalisation. The conclusion is that a pertinent and critical realist comparative methodology can emerge from the contemporary
stream of comparative sociology.