What is a basic assumption of the post positivist paradigm?
Post-positivistic research assumes that social reality is out there and has enough stability and patterning to be known. Social reality is conceived as coherent, whole, and singular. Epistemology, or the philosophical study of knowledge and knowing, is another way to describe the unique assumptions of post-positivism.
What are the characteristics of positivist paradigm?
A positivist approach emphasises experimentation, observation, control, measurement, reliability and validity in the processes of research. This implies a quantitative approach.
What are paradigm assumptions?
A paradigm means a set of overarching and interconnected assumptions about the nature of reality (Maykut and Moorehouse 1994). Any paradigm is built on a number of assumptions that deal with the nature of reality.
What is a positivist paradigm?
The positivist paradigm is based in the assumption that a single tangible reality exists—one that can be understood, identified, and measured.
What is the difference between positivist and post-positivist?
Positivists believed that objectivity was a characteristic that resided in the individual scientist. Scientists are responsible for putting aside their biases and beliefs and seeing the world as it ‘really’ is. Post-positivists reject the idea that any individual can see the world perfectly as it really is.
What methods do positivists use?
Positivists prefer quantitative methods such as social surveys, structured questionnaires and official statistics because these have good reliability and representativeness. Positivists see society as shaping the individual and believe that ‘social facts’ shape individual action.
What are the main features of positivism and post-positivism?
A key difference is that while positivist theories such as realism and liberalism highlight how power is exercised, post-positivist theories focus on how power is experienced resulting in a focus on both different subject matters and agents. Postpositivist theories do not attempt to be scientific or a social science.