The Role of Theory

1. The Role of Theory Jean Hillier GURU, Newcastle University AESOP PhD Workshop 2010

2. Introduction – which approach could I use? inductive/deductive/reproductive/adductive • Illustrations – retroductive deductive • Conclusions

3. Which Approach is Good for Me? Reasons for doing the research: • exploration  • description  • explanation  • prediction 

4. Four Possible Approaches • inductive • deductive • retroductive  • abductive 

5. Inductive Research Research comes before Theory unordered 'facts'  definition/classification/ measurement  ordered facts  inductive generalisation  theory construction

6. Deductive Research Theory comes before Research Research ‘tests’ the Theory a priori model or theory   data collection   testing of theory   modification of theory

7. Retroductive Research Theory comes before Research Does a structure/process operate in the way theory suggests? a priori model or theory  data collection/ case study  critical analysis of case study data  explanation of case study

8. Abductive Research Research comes before Theory Starts from the social world of the ‘actant’ unordered data   subjective interpretation of data   thematic categorisation   theory construction

9. A Retroductive Example:Actor/Actant-Network Theory Translation • incorporation – actors join and are woven into networks; • interessement – actors exert influence over others via persuasion that their position is best; • enrolment – actors lock others into their definitions; • mobilisation – the actor now speaks for the others Intermediaries: human, non-human http://www.fcbarcelona.cat/web/english/club/club_avui/territori_barca/fcbmuseu/continguts/planol_camp_nou.html

10. A Deductive Example:Habermas' Communicative Action • interpersonal linguistic communication • mutual understanding • rational consensus 'rules' of discussion: • all actors are allowed to participate; • all actors are allowed to introduce ideas into discussion; • all actors are allowed to question others.

11. The Ideal Speech Situation: all participants must speak • truthfully • comprehensibly • sincerely • legitimately Systematically Distorted Communication False consensus

12. Conclusions (1) What strategy you use will depend on: • whether you want to apply existing theory or develop new theory. • whether you want to test a theory using empirical data? • whether you want to examine data or a case study using a theoretical frame?

13. Conclusions (2) • Select your theory carefully • What do you want to analyse? • If social institutions – think about Healey etc • If power – think about ANT, Foucault, Habermas etc • If ideology – think about liberalism, utilitarianism, Marxism etc etc • If relationality – think about Healey, Deleuze etc If in doubt, ASK!!

14. Remember: ‘what we observe is not nature itself, but nature exposed to our method of questioning’ (Heisenberg, cited in Capra, 1996: 40) • Methods PERFORM – they help to produce the realities they describe. • Different theoretical frames lead to different questions lead to different realities being interpreted.

15. Key References Blakie N. 2000 Designing Social Research, Polity, Cambridge. [nb chapters 4 & 5] Punch K. 2000 Designing Effective Research Proposals, Sage, London. Punch K. 2005 Introduction to Social Research, Sage, London.