Bücher der Reihe Routledge Studies in Critical Realism

A collection of articles by philosophers and social scientists. It addresses just what it means to invoke causal mechanisms, or powers, in the context of offering a causal explanation.

Andrew Collier is the boldest defender of objectivity - in science, knowledge, thought, action, politics, morality and religion. The diverse contributions range from social and political thought to philosophy.

An introduction to the difference that critical realism can make to contemporary social sciences, covering cultural studies, feminism, globalization, heterodox economics, education policy, the self and the 'underclass' debate.

This reader suggests that returning to, and placing centre-stage, the role of philosophy, especially critical realist philosophy of science, is invaluable for efforts that seek to overcome or mitigate the uncertainty and acrimony which have characterised the discipline in recent years.

This international and interdisciplinary collection gathers stories from researchers and research students about their methodological encounters with critical realism. Whether the contributors are experienced or novice researchers, they are predominantly new to critical realism. For various reasons, as the contributors' detail, they have all been drawn to critical realism. It is well known that critical realism can be bewildering and even overwhelming to newcomers, especially to those unfamiliar with language of, and without a grounding in, philosophy. While there are now numerous and important introductory and applied critical realist texts that make critical realism more accessible to a broader audience, stories from newcomers have been absent - especially as part of a single collection. The significance and uniqueness of this collection lies in its documentation of first-hand reflective insights on the practical use and implementation of critical realism. The contributors feature critical realist inspired research journeys in Australia, England, Scotland, Belgium, Sweden, and Spain.The hope of this book is that the stories and accounts presented in it will inspire - or at least sufficiently arouse - the curiosity of others to explore critical realist possibilities, which we believe offer enormous value to serious researchers across and within all disciplines and subjects who are interested in rigorous intellectual work with a socially progressive purpose.

Based in the philosophy of critical realism, this book employs a range of Margaret Archer's theoretical concepts, from morphogenetic cycles and the emergence of educational systems at the macro level, to the exercise of reflexivity among individuals at the micro level, to investigate temporal and spatial aspects of Norwegian education.

This book split across 2 volumes, is a follow up and companion to Metatheory for the Twenty-First Century. All three of these volumes are the dialogical outcomes of a multi-year symposia series wherein critical realists and integral theorists deeply engaged each other and their distinct but complementary approaches to integrative metatheory.

Presents an argument that the gender biased identity of many states represents the significant barrier to diffusion. This book explores how particular norms have diffused into certain states as a consequence of international and domestic pressure. It also addresses the limitations of explanations of international norms.

Presents a history of the use of hegemony in various works, with a discussion of Gramsci and Russian Marxism and other applications. This book discusses the direction to Marx made by Jacques Derrida, and outlines a realist/Marxist alternative. It clarifies the concept of hegemony and its relation to societal processes.

Cynthia Lins Hamlin persuasively argues that critical realism represents a better safeguard against the relativism which springs from the conflation of social reality and our ideas about it.

Poststructuralism has achieved remarkable success in challenging our belief in natural sex categories and instincts. Embracing biological and cultural variability, this book shows that the sexed body is naturally structured and deeply meaningful. It employs colourful illustrations from biology, anthropology and psychology.

In Europe, the framework of economic competitiveness has become the defining aim of education, to be achieved by managerialist techniques and mechanisms. This book argues against this vision of education, and offers a different approach.

Methodological debates in the social sciences have increasingly focused on issues relating to epistemology. This book charts a ground between postmodernism and positivism. It argues that realism can combine a definition of social reality with an anti-foundational approach to knowledge. It develops the realist anti-foundationalism.

Opposing the theist ontological logics more generally, this book argues that the earth-bound materialist dialectics of the classical Marxist tradition, and the naturalistic humanism these dialectics under-labour on the terrain of socio-historical being, offer a way forward for critical realist theory and for liberatory politics and ethics.

By constructing historical materialism as realist social theory, it becomes possible to resolve many dilemmas in Marxist discourse, such as voluntarism versus determinism and humanism versus economism. This book rethinks Marx's sociology as a form of realist social theory, extending Roy Bhaskar's philosophical realism into the social sciences.

"Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada by Routledge."

Ontology is gaining interdisciplinary influence as a popular tool for applied research. This book focuses on these developments within the social sciences. It also analyzes the relationship between the new ontological projects and the more traditional approaches. It is aimed at students and researchers across the social sciences.

The twenty-first century is characterized by extremes of poverty and wealth, of scarcity and abundance. Recognising that Africa in particular has manifested this global disgrace and symbolizes the nature of poverty to the western world, this book aims to give an important platform from which to move forwards in the fight against poverty.

This book split across 2 volumes, is a follow up and companion to Metatheory for the Twenty-First Century. All three of these volumes are the dialogical outcomes of a multi-year symposia series wherein critical realists and integral theorists deeply engaged each other and their distinct but complementary approaches to integrative metatheory.

Addresses the interlocking themes of realism, objectivity, existentialism and politics. This work defends objectivity in science, knowledge, and ethics, and examines both subjective idealism and existentialist critiques of objectivity. It also examines some of the themes from different angles, keeping the politics of the issues at the forefront.

Translation of the author's book Att feorklara samheallet.