CMNS 801: Design and Methodology in Communication Research 1-Introduction to the Course Professor: Jan Marontate School of Communication. Simon Fraser University Spring 2008

Today Brief Introductions Syllabus (Handout #1) Review of Research Interests & Methodological Backgrounds Choosing Topics (Part 2) and Scheduling Presentations Discussion:Paradigms & Models (Historical and Contemporary Approaches to Methodology)

On-line Resources Course materials (Resources Folder) http://webdav.sfu.ca/web/cmns/courses/2008/801 Bill Trochim’s Research Methodlogy website http://www.socialresearchmethods.net/ Another resource for review of general methodological Concepts/techniques My undergraduate empirical methods course (CMNS260) from Spring 2008 http://www.sfu.ca/cmns/faculty/marontate_j/260/

Why study methods? “Knowledge is power” (to acquire skills for social action or change) “Savoir, pouvoir, prévoir” (Auguste Comte) «To know to do (have power), to do (have power) in order to predict the future and plan for it  » « Knowledge is understanding » “décrire, comprendre, expliquer ” (Gilles Gaston Granger) “to describe, to understand and to explain”

Research Methodology (Scholarly Perspectives) Process involving methods logic of inquiry (assumptions & hypotheses) produces laws, principles and theories that can be tested (Karl Popper & notion of falsifiability for politically engaged scholars interested in the fight against genocide in the early 20th century)

Classification of Theories to Understand Different Approaches Paradigms, other typologies (like quantitative vs. qualitative) direction of reasoning (inductive, deductive) level of reality (micro, macro) forms of explanation theoretical frameworks degree of abstraction

Identifying Styles of Research: Example of Quantitative vs Identifying Styles of Research: Example of Quantitative vs. Qualitative Approaches (common about 20-30 yrs ago but still used) Neuman (2000: 16) Quantitative vs. Qualitative Objective Subjective Variables Processes and events Reliability Authenticity Value-Free Explicitly Stated Values Independent of Context Aware of Content Many cases or subjects Few cases or subjects Statistical Analysis Other qualities Detached Researcher Involved Researcher

Research Paradigms Sets of shared patterns in a scholarly community about what constitutes worthwhile research (Thomas Kuhn, The structure of scientific revolutions) What problems are worth investigating? What constitutes an answer? Different views on how approaches are grouped

Assumptions about nature of people & knowledge for use in classifying approaches (Burrell & Morgan) Subjective vs. Objective Assumptions ontology : nominalism realism epistemology : anti-positivism positivism human nature: voluntarism determinism methodology: ideographic nomethetic (laws) (idiographic=unique, singular)

Assumptions about Order/Conflict Order/regulation) vs. Conflict/Radical Change) Stability/solidarity Change/emancipation Integration Conflict Functional coordination disintegration consensus coercion need satisfaction deprivation

Four Paradigms (Burrell & Morgan) Conflict/radical change radical humanist radical structuralist interpretive functionalist subjective objective Order/stability/regulation

Four Paradigms in Communications Research (proposed by Baxter & Babbie) Positivist Once widely taught as same as science early religious aspect association with quantitative research Systems Paradigm Interpretive Verstehen association with qualitative research direct observation, context, meaningful action holistic Critical **Note: other groupings & more approaches exist

Questions to Ask about Research 1. reasons for research 2. nature of social reality 3. nature of human beings 4. role of common sense 5. Ideas about what theory looks like 6. explanation that is acceptable 7. good evidence 8. place for values

Example: Positivism instrumental orientation to predict and control 1. Why conduct research? instrumental orientation to predict and control 2. Nature of Social Reality? has order fundamentally unchanging can be discovered using science 3. Nature of Human Beings? self interest, pleasure seeking, rational operate on basis of external causes, probability mechanical model of man 4. Science and common sense? separate

Positivism (cont’d) What constitutes Explanation or Theory? science nomethetic (universal laws) causal relationships, universally valid 6. How to judge explanation use reason : no logical contradictions Observation, Replication 7. Good evidence? observations , empirical knowledge can be communicated 8. Social/Political Values? value-free science objectivity

Concepts associated with Positivism Objective Reality that can be studied scientifically (logic & empirical observation) Variables Relationships between variables Quantitative Reasoning

Systems Paradigm Holistic Society or group as organism Interdependence of parts of system Whole is greater than sum of parts Dynamic equilibrium Uses “Language of variables”

Interpretive Approaches Why conduct research? to understand meanings 2. Nature of Social Reality? importance of human consciousness socially constructed multiple social realities possible 3. Nature of Human Beings? people use meanings, have reasons laws (?) 4. Science and common sense? must study common sense, pragmatic

Interpretive Approaches 1. Why conduct research? to understand meanings 2. Nature of Social Reality? importance of human consciousness socially constructed multiple social realities possible 3. Nature of Human Beings? people use meanings, have reasons laws (?) 4. Science and common sense? must study common sense, pragmatic

Interpretive Approaches (cont’d) 5.. What constitutes Explanation or Theory ideographic “thick” descriptions), semantic relationships Rules in interpretive traditions= shared beliefs 6. How to judge explanation– as understanding makes sense to others Heuristic framework 7. Good evidence? in context, has meaning for social actors (evocative) 8. Social/Political Values? does not try to be value free, state biases

Critical Theory as a Paradigm Why conduct research? discover structures change world, action oriented knowledge is power (from below) 2. Nature of Social Reality? changing conflict (not always visible-myths, false consciousness) 3. Nature of Human Beings? have potential but can be mislead potential realized through collective action 4. Science and common sense? idea of objective reality , underlying truths but science can be instrument of oppression

Critical Theoretical Approaches (cont’d) 5. What constitutes Explanation or Theory combination of determinism and voluntarism 6. How to judge explanation capacity to describe social conditions and promote change 7. Good evidence? material conditions separate from subjectivity but facts not neutral 8. Social/Political Values? everpresent, promotes activism

Typology of “Women’s Ways of Knowing” (p. 63) Silence (determined by external factors) Received knowledge Subjective knovledge Procedural knowledge Constructed knowledge

“Dimensions” of Research Purpose of Study Intended Use of Study Treatment of Time in Study Space Unit of Analysis Exploratory Descriptive Explanatory Basic Applied -Action -Impact -Evaluation Cross-sectional Longitudinal -Panel -Time series -Cohort analysis -Case Study -Trend study -dependent individual -independent family household artifact (media, technology) Neuman (2000: 37)