Applying Social Science: The Role of Social Research in Politics, Policy and Practice

ISBN-13: 9781847424518 / Angielski / Twarda / 2011 / 240 str.

Byrne, David

Opis

Social research is certainly engaged in the construction of evidence, but it also plays a crucial role in a range of other governance processes. All of these processes - the construction of evidence, evaluation, consultation, modeling, and research as social action - are dealt with in this book, which includes an examination of their essential nature, a careful methodological discussion of their social scientific character, the presentation of real examples in practice, a critique of those examples, and a consideration of how good applied social research might be developed in the future.

Spis treści

Contents: The methodological foundations of applied social science; Constructing evidence: the development of knowledge which is to be applied; Surveying the social world: assembling knowledge as a basis for action; Evaluating: the role of social science in the establishment of effectiveness and outcomes; Legitimating: the selective use of social science in justifying policy and practice; Consulting: the role of social science in 'participatory' post-democratic politics; Modeling: the use of social science in predicting the future consequences of present actions; Acting: the role of social science in action-research; The Applied Social Sciences and the Academy; Conclusion: Where now?