Generalization, epistemology and concrete: what can social sciences learn from the common sense of engineers
Autor(a) principal: | |
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Data de Publicação: | 2019 |
Tipo de documento: | Artigo |
Idioma: | eng |
Título da fonte: | Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) |
Texto Completo: | http://hdl.handle.net/10451/38190 |
Resumo: | In this essay I debate critically, and somehow playfully, some assumptions and shortcomings of quantitative/positivist social research, using a dash of common sense typical of engineers. Civil engineers, in designing concrete structures, particularly those made up of concrete, have to continuously consider the error embedded in the limits of available systems of calculation, ending up adopting substantial factors of safety as counter-measures. The study of resistance of concrete structures is a good metaphor for social research; and yet, quantitative/positivist researchers, in their search for “falsifiable generalizations”, often forget about the omnipresence of error, let alone adopt the factors of safety. In short, the common sense of engineers is useful to casts some not-so-frequently-considered doubts over the capacity of quantitative methods and positivist epistemologies to create generalizable social science findings in face of uncertainty and the complexity of human societies. By casting such doubts, I advocate for a more relaxed (but not less rigorous) approach to social research and its complexity. |
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Generalization, epistemology and concrete: what can social sciences learn from the common sense of engineersEpistemologyQuantitative researchQualitative researchResearch methodsPeer-reviewFalsifiable generalizationsIn this essay I debate critically, and somehow playfully, some assumptions and shortcomings of quantitative/positivist social research, using a dash of common sense typical of engineers. Civil engineers, in designing concrete structures, particularly those made up of concrete, have to continuously consider the error embedded in the limits of available systems of calculation, ending up adopting substantial factors of safety as counter-measures. The study of resistance of concrete structures is a good metaphor for social research; and yet, quantitative/positivist researchers, in their search for “falsifiable generalizations”, often forget about the omnipresence of error, let alone adopt the factors of safety. In short, the common sense of engineers is useful to casts some not-so-frequently-considered doubts over the capacity of quantitative methods and positivist epistemologies to create generalizable social science findings in face of uncertainty and the complexity of human societies. By casting such doubts, I advocate for a more relaxed (but not less rigorous) approach to social research and its complexity.Repositório da Universidade de LisboaTulumello, Simone2019-05-16T09:54:46Z20192019-01-01T00:00:00Zinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/articleapplication/pdfhttp://hdl.handle.net/10451/38190engTulumello S. (2019). Generalization, epistemology and concrete: What can social sciences learn from the common sense of engineers. Fennia. International Journal of Geography, 197(1), 121-1311798-561710.11143/fennia.77626info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessreponame:Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)instname:Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informaçãoinstacron:RCAAP2023-11-08T16:35:28Zoai:repositorio.ul.pt:10451/38190Portal AgregadorONGhttps://www.rcaap.pt/oai/openaireopendoar:71602024-03-19T21:51:55.788565Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) - Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informaçãofalse |
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv |
Generalization, epistemology and concrete: what can social sciences learn from the common sense of engineers |
title |
Generalization, epistemology and concrete: what can social sciences learn from the common sense of engineers |
spellingShingle |
Generalization, epistemology and concrete: what can social sciences learn from the common sense of engineers Tulumello, Simone Epistemology Quantitative research Qualitative research Research methods Peer-review Falsifiable generalizations |
title_short |
Generalization, epistemology and concrete: what can social sciences learn from the common sense of engineers |
title_full |
Generalization, epistemology and concrete: what can social sciences learn from the common sense of engineers |
title_fullStr |
Generalization, epistemology and concrete: what can social sciences learn from the common sense of engineers |
title_full_unstemmed |
Generalization, epistemology and concrete: what can social sciences learn from the common sense of engineers |
title_sort |
Generalization, epistemology and concrete: what can social sciences learn from the common sense of engineers |
author |
Tulumello, Simone |
author_facet |
Tulumello, Simone |
author_role |
author |
dc.contributor.none.fl_str_mv |
Repositório da Universidade de Lisboa |
dc.contributor.author.fl_str_mv |
Tulumello, Simone |
dc.subject.por.fl_str_mv |
Epistemology Quantitative research Qualitative research Research methods Peer-review Falsifiable generalizations |
topic |
Epistemology Quantitative research Qualitative research Research methods Peer-review Falsifiable generalizations |
description |
In this essay I debate critically, and somehow playfully, some assumptions and shortcomings of quantitative/positivist social research, using a dash of common sense typical of engineers. Civil engineers, in designing concrete structures, particularly those made up of concrete, have to continuously consider the error embedded in the limits of available systems of calculation, ending up adopting substantial factors of safety as counter-measures. The study of resistance of concrete structures is a good metaphor for social research; and yet, quantitative/positivist researchers, in their search for “falsifiable generalizations”, often forget about the omnipresence of error, let alone adopt the factors of safety. In short, the common sense of engineers is useful to casts some not-so-frequently-considered doubts over the capacity of quantitative methods and positivist epistemologies to create generalizable social science findings in face of uncertainty and the complexity of human societies. By casting such doubts, I advocate for a more relaxed (but not less rigorous) approach to social research and its complexity. |
publishDate |
2019 |
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv |
2019-05-16T09:54:46Z 2019 2019-01-01T00:00:00Z |
dc.type.status.fl_str_mv |
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion |
dc.type.driver.fl_str_mv |
info:eu-repo/semantics/article |
format |
article |
status_str |
publishedVersion |
dc.identifier.uri.fl_str_mv |
http://hdl.handle.net/10451/38190 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/10451/38190 |
dc.language.iso.fl_str_mv |
eng |
language |
eng |
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv |
Tulumello S. (2019). Generalization, epistemology and concrete: What can social sciences learn from the common sense of engineers. Fennia. International Journal of Geography, 197(1), 121-131 1798-5617 10.11143/fennia.77626 |
dc.rights.driver.fl_str_mv |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
eu_rights_str_mv |
openAccess |
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv |
application/pdf |
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv |
reponame:Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) instname:Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informação instacron:RCAAP |
instname_str |
Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informação |
instacron_str |
RCAAP |
institution |
RCAAP |
reponame_str |
Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) |
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Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) |
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Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) - Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informação |
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1799134455785324544 |