Research Paradigms in Social Sciences: Understanding the Big Four

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Research Paradigms in Social Sciences: Understanding the Big Four

When researchers study human behaviour, societies, and cultures, they don’t all see the world the same way. Their starting assumptions—about what counts as “truth” and how we should study it—form what we call research paradigms.

A paradigm is like a lens. Change the lens, and the same social phenomenon can look completely different. In the social sciences, four major paradigms guide most research: Positivism, Interpretivism, Critical Theory, and Constructivism.




1. Positivism – The Search for Objective Reality

Positivists believe there’s a real, measurable world out there, and our job is to uncover it using systematic observation and data.

  • Goal: Find universal laws and patterns.

  • Method: Quantitative surveys, experiments, statistical analysis.

  • Example: Studying voting behavior by analyzing large-scale polling data.

2. Interpretivism – Understanding Subjective Meaning

Interpretivists see reality as shaped by human experiences and interpretations. The aim isn’t to find “laws” but to understand meaning.

  • Goal: Explore how people see and make sense of their world.

  • Method: Interviews, ethnography, participant observation.

  • Example: Exploring how new immigrants interpret the idea of “home” in a foreign country.

3. Critical Theory – Revealing Power and Inequality

Critical theorists argue that research should not just describe reality but challenge systems of domination.

  • Goal: Expose and address power imbalances and social injustice.

  • Method: Historical analysis, critical discourse analysis, participatory action research.

  • Example: Examining how media representation reinforces gender stereotypes.

4. Constructivism – Reality as Socially Built

Constructivists believe reality isn’t fixed—it’s created through social interaction and shared meaning.

  • Goal: Understand how concepts and “truths” are co-created.

  • Method: Case studies, narrative analysis, grounded theory.

  • Example: Studying how online communities create their own definitions of “trust.”

Why This Matters

Choosing a paradigm isn’t just academic—it shapes:

  • The questions you ask

  • The methods you choose

  • How you interpret your findings

A positivist might measure crime rates; an interpretivist might explore how communities define “crime”; a critical theorist might ask whose interests are served by those definitions; and a constructivist might show how these definitions change over time.

Bottom line:
In social science, your paradigm is your compass. Know it, own it, and use it deliberately.

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