At this point some hypotheses are confirmed and others are rejected, the theory is then adapted to make changes as per research results Schutt In social studies theories are constantly going through a process of evolution. This is as a result of a rapidly changing world, theories that can no longer explain the reality of the modern world are either faced with the challenge to modernise and adapt or be neglected by the academic and social arena. Neo- Marxism is the modern approach to amend and extend the classical Marxist theory.
Neo-Marxist scholars try to provide supplements to the perceived shortcomings of classical Marxism Barrow Classic Marxism sees the struggle between the rich and the poor and views capitalism as an exploitative system that allows exploitation of the working and the solution to this would be communism. Neo-Marxism acknowledges that in the modern world the struggle is not just between the rich and the poor or the owners of the means of production and the working class but there are different kinds of inequalities such as those concerning race, gender and international structures such as the wealth gap between the global north and the global south Haywood When conducting research, we can look at the contribution of theory to the study in three ways, first is theory as a paradigm, where theory plays a significant role in helping us understand the research design.
The third way is to think of theory as knowledge, that which may come from our study. There are a number of questions concerned with the paradigm. There are those that focus on the ontology, what do we believe exits? These regard the central beliefs that that the individual holds about the social world and its relationship to individuals.
The questions of epistemology question what make reliable and valid knowledge? These focus on the relationship between the observable conditions and the interpretation of meanings. The questions of epistemology ask: how do we produce knowledge that is reliable and valid? Here the focus is on the strategies we can employ to produce reliable knowledge.
The last sets of questions are those that are concern with the method, these questions ask how can we collect data to test our theories? There are two models of social research, one is qualitative and the other is quantitative. In a qualitative study the aim is to understand the social phenomena through investigations and interpretations of the meanings attached to it, the primary objective is to make sense of the social world.
The key principles lie on subjectivity or rather interpretations, a theory is developed during and after the study is conducted and the process is inductive Pierce 45; Taylor When researchers employ inductive studies, a researcher begins by collecting data relevant to the topic of interest, the second step is data analysis and observation of similar patterns and then a theory is developed based on the data Blaikie Deductive process is when the hypothesis is developed based on an already existing theory.
It begins with a social theory that the researcher is interested in and move to its inferences with data. The research focus will move from a more general approach to a more specific approach. The researcher studies what other researchers have already studied, reads on existing theories and the aim is to test the hypothesis that emerges from those theories Blaikie In some instances, the researcher might choose to employ mixed methods.
Mixed methods refers to the use of both qualitative and quantitative research techniques. Where theories may be used as a lens of understanding, the researcher will look at existing theories which seek to explain how aspects of the world work, specifically those in proximity with the research interest.
Here the objectives may be to revise, adapt and confirm an existing theory, they can also be to generate a new theory or to relate conceptual frameworks. There are different types and levels of theory. Different theoretical perspectives focus on different aspect of understanding knowledge and social research.
Grand theory is believed to have originated from the work of sociologist C. Wright Mill. As a research aspect grand theory is concerned with the broad coverage of human societies. The role of theory in qualitative health research. Fam Pract. Developing and evaluating complex interventions: the new Medical Research Council guidance. A systematic review of the use of theory in the design of guideline dissemination and implementation strategies and interpretation of the results of rigorous evaluation.
Implement Sci. Wacker JG. A definition of theory: research guidelines for different theory-building research methods in operations management. J Oper Manag. Making psychological theory useful for implementing evidence based practice: a consensus approach.
Qual Saf Health Care ;— Validation of the theoretical domains framework for use in behaviour change and implementation research. Theories of behaviour change synthesised into a set of theoretical groupings: introducing a thematic series on the theoretical domains framework. Measuring determinants of implementation behaviour: psychometric properties of a questionnaire based on the theoretical domains framework.
Development of a theory of implementation and integration: normalization process theory. May C, Finch T. Implementing, embedding and integrating practices: an outline of normalization process theory. Normalization process theory. Normalization process theory: a framework for developing, evaluating and implementing complex interventions. BMC Med. MacFarlane A. Using a theory driven conceptual framework in qualitative health research. Qual Health Res.
Download references. You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar. Correspondence to Derek Stewart. Think of theories as the conceptual basis for understanding, analyzing, and designing ways to investigate relationships within social systems. To the end, the following roles served by a theory can help guide the development of your framework.
Holton III , editors. The theoretical framework may be rooted in a specific theory , in which case, you are expected to test the validity of an existing theory in relation to specific events, issues, or phenomena. Many social science research papers fit into this rubric.
For example, Peripheral Realism theory, which categorizes perceived differences between nation-states as those that give orders, those that obey, and those that rebel, could be used as a means for understanding conflicted relationships among countries in Africa. A test of this theory could be the following: Does Peripheral Realism theory help explain intra-state actions, such as, the growing split between southern and northern Sudan that may likely lead to the creation of two nations?
However, you may not always be asked by your professor to test a specific theory in your paper, but to develop your own framework from which your analysis of the research problem is derived. Given this, it is perhaps easiest to understand the nature and function of a theoretical framework if it is viewed as the answer to two basic questions:. The answers to these questions come from a thorough review of the literature and your course readings [summarized and analyzed in the next section of your paper] and the gaps in the research that emerge from the review process.
With this in mind, a complete theoretical framework will likely not emerge until after you have completed a thorough review of the literature. In writing this part of your research paper, keep in mind the following:. College of Engineering. University of Michigan; Drafting an Argument. Borrowing Theoretical Constructs from Elsewhere. A growing and increasingly important trend in the social sciences is to think about and attempt to understand specific research problems from an interdisciplinary perspective.
One way to do this is to not rely exclusively on the theories you've read about in a particular class, but to think about how an issue might be informed by theories developed in other disciplines. For example, if you are a political science student studying the rhetorical strategies used by female incumbants in state legislature campaigns, theories about the use of language could be derived, not only from political science, but linguistics, communication studies, philosophy, psychology, and, in this particular case, feminist studies.
Building theoretical frameworks based on the postulates and hypotheses developed in other disciplinary contexts can be both enlightening and an effective way to be fully engaged in the research topic.
Don't Undertheorize! Never leave the theory hanging out there in the Introduction never to be mentioned again. Undertheorizing weakens your paper.
The theoretical framework you introduce should guide your study throughout the paper. Be sure to always connect theory to the analysis and to explain in the discussion part of your paper how the theoretical framework you chose fit the research problem, or if appropriate, was inadequate in explaining the phenomenon you were investigating. In that case, don't be afraid to propose your own theory based on your findings. What's a Theory?
What's a Hypothesis? The terms theory and hypothesis are often used interchangeably in everyday use. However, the difference between them in scholarly research is important, particularly when using an experimental design.
A theory is a well-established principle that has been developed to explain some aspect of the natural world. Theories arise from repeated observation and testing and incorporates facts, laws, predictions, and tested hypotheses that are widely accepted [e.
A hypothesis is a specific, testable prediction about what you expect to happen in your study.
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