Critical realism

John Michael Roberts

Chapter 4 in Elgar Concise Encyclopedia of Research Methods in the Social Sciences, 2026, pp 27-33 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: This entry outlines some key assumptions and ideas of critical realism. First, critical realism is compared to empiricism. From a realist perspective, four interrelated problems can be highlighted with an empiricist approach. Critical realism overcomes problems with empiricism, in part, through its stratified view of the world into three different domains: the empirical, actual and real. Through this stratified view, critical realists can give due analytical and theoretical weight to investigating underlying causal powers and structures in research case studies. In terms of the social world, critical realism also draws attention in research to the importance of investigating specific social structures and their causal powers, their evolving history and the impact of wider historical totalities on an object of investigation. Many advocates of critical realism also claim to embrace an emancipatory project based primarily on exposing misleading ideas many in society can hold about the real nature of the world.

Keywords: Critical realism; Empiricism; Intensive Case Method; Mechanism; Open Systems (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
ISBN: 9781803921297
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