Chapter 1: Research Methods in International Relations
Empiricism:
Interpretism
How to differentiate
- Ontology
- Epistimology
- Methodology
Philosophy: shape the way you act behave and think
- Existancialism: value life in different ways making their actions shaped by those thoughts
Aesthetics refers to the theoretical analysis of the form, expression and symbolism in works of art.
Notes
Ontology: Nature of being, nature of reality (if nature is objective or subjectvie)
Epistemology: methods of knowing truth, how do you know what you know?
Empiricism
- Apply natural science methods in understanding social issues
- Knowledge is accumulated through experiences and observation
- Focus on process, causes/impacts, roles, events, developments, behavior of actors, practice of international politics.
- Objectiive reality “out there” independent of researchers’ perception.
Interpretivism
- Reject application of natural science methods in understanding the international politics
- Focus on idea, beliefs, identity, norms, culture, value, symbolism, perception, social meanings, embedded in international politics.
- Question the underlying social and power structures of international politics
- Researchers intervenes or creates social realities through their own role in knowledge production , thus altering the object under study.
Creating 3 interpretive topics and 3 empirical topics
I want to explain/examine
I want to understand
6 different topics
Later on pick from one of the 6 and use as topic for research assigment