Epistemological Pluralism in Social Sciences: A Critical Study of Methods and Approaches
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47750/Keywords:
Epistemology, Positivism, Interpretivism, Critical Realism, Methodological Pluralism, Social Sciences .Abstract
This study seeks to explore the epistemological foundations of social sciences through a critical analysis of three main frameworks: positivism, interpretivism, and critical realism. While positivism has contributed to advancing experimental social research based on quantitative measurement and objectivity, interpretivism has highlighted the importance of the subjective meanings individuals assign to their actions, paving the way for qualitative research methods. On the other hand, critical realism offers an approach that integrates both perspectives by recognizing the existence of independent social structures while emphasizing that social and cultural contexts
shape our knowledge of them.
