Post date: Sep 15, 2015 12:33:33 AM
This last week we learned about how various philosophies impacted research methodologies and the methodologies themselves from Research Methods in Anthropology: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches by H. Russell Bernard.
In his discussion of philosophical outlooks Bernard discussed Positivism, Humanism, Hermeneutics, and Phenomenology. Positivism is a philosophical outlook stemming from intense scientific inquiry and it takes the stance that all things must be measurable in order to be true. Humanism is a belief that individuals decide upon meaning and truth for themselves. Hermeneutics relies on a belief that truth exists in all texts and that it can be found through intense study. Phenomenology is an approach to knowledge that relies on the interpretation of personal experiences to find truth. These philosophies impact methodology because they influence what kind of data we are willing to accept as truth.
Bernard also offered advice on how to conduct a variety of methodologies themselves, especially focusing on types of measurement and the data it produces. Bernard particularly stressed “levels of measurement,” meaning the unit size you were measuring data on i.e. Individuals or towns. It is best to measure at the highest level (the most specific) level of measurement. This is because you can always group people together based on location, but once data is collected based on location it cannot be broken back down into individuals. He also talked about data validity and made it clear that if a question is for some reason invalid the data drawn from it is also void. This information established that good theories must be supported by applicable and valid data.
-DS
Research Methods in Anthropology: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches by H. Russell Bernard can be found here: (http://site.ebrary.com/lib/wpi/detail.action?docID=10465497)