Critical Realism,Dialectics, and Qualitative Research Methods

Critical realism has been an important advance in social science methodology because it develops a qualitative theory of causality which avoids some of the pitfalls of empiricist theories of causality. But while there has been ample work exploring the relationship between critical realism and qualitative research methods there has been noticeably less work exploring the relationship between dialectical critical realism and qualitative research methods. This seems strange especially since the founder of the philosophy of critical realism, Roy Bhaskar, employs and develops a range of dialectical concepts in his later work in order to extend the main tenets of critical realism. The aim of this paper is to draw on Bhaskar's later work, as well as Marxism, to reorient a critical realist methodology towards a dialectical approach for qualitative research. In particular, the paper demonstrates how dialectical critical realism can begin to provide answers to three common criticisms made against original critical realist methodology: that the qualitative theory of causal powers and structures developed by critical realists is problematic; that critical realist methodology contains values which prove damaging to empirical research; and that critical realists often have difficulties in researching everyday qualitative dilemmas that people face in their daily lives.     

基层党员坚定“四个自信”的实证研究——以浙江省嵊泗县为例

“四个自信”是党的最新理论成果，其对基层党员的影响理应是深远的。通过问卷、访谈以及文献分析等方法调查了以浙江省嵊泗县为代表的基层党员对“四个自信”的坚定状况。调研结果表明：其在总体上的坚定情况是可喜的，但也存在不少问题。通过对比参与调查的基层党员和非党员对在中国特色社会主义理论、道路、制度和文化等方面的差异，从民生问题、贫富差距扩大趋势、理论宣传教育程度和发展实际问题等方面分析原因，并据此提出了相应对策。     

Listening to the voices of children: understanding the human rights priorities of children with disability in Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea

In developing countries, children with disability lack basic services yet their voices are missing in the development agenda. This article reports on research to investigate the human rights needs and priorities of 89 children with disability aged 5–18 years in Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea. An accessible and inclusive research method was developed to enable children with diverse disabilities to communicate their own views via visual, audio and tactile means. Data were analysed in relation to the Articles of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, identifying a wide range of priority areas including recreation, leisure and cultural life; employment; home and family life; and education. It is proposed that policy and programme responses must take a holistic view of children and their needs, affirming but thinking beyond the importance of education, to address the complexity of the systemic disadvantage faced by children with disability.     

战后日本的科技研发思路及资金保障

第二次世界大战后,日本制定了具有本国特色的科技政策,并将科技政策纳入国家政策体系之中。其中,科技研发思路是制定科技政策的关键性步骤;政府对科技研发的保障性投入,也属于科技政策的重要组成部分。日本是当今世界科技和经济大国,探析并总结其战后科技研发思路及资金保障的经验教训,对后进国家制定科技发展战略无疑具有重要的借鉴和启示作用。     

Life Satisfaction,Self-Esteem,and Loneliness Among LGB Adults and Heterosexual Adults in China

ABSTRACT

Low levels of life satisfaction have been linked to low self-esteem and loneliness, but this association has never been tested directly in LGB (lesbian/gay/bisexual) populations. We compared 275 Chinese LGB adults to 275 demographic-matched Chinese heterosexual controls on life satisfaction, self-esteem, and loneliness. LGB adults reported lower levels of self-esteem and higher levels of loneliness than heterosexuals, but similar levels of overall life satisfaction. Self-esteem partially mediated (but did not moderate) the relationship between loneliness and life satisfaction in both groups. Hierarchical regressions indicated that demographic variables, loneliness, and self-esteem can predict life satisfaction in both LGB and heterosexual adults, but explained more variance of life satisfaction in the LGB group. Thus self-esteem and loneliness play a more important role in life satisfaction for LGB rather than heterosexual Chinese adults.     

哈贝马斯批判理论的修辞性研究

哈贝马斯(Habermas)是当代西方具有影响力的批判理论家,其对修辞学的贡献在于将归属于批判理论的交往重要性进行理论化。他对各种形式的公共性的历史叙述,尤其是18世纪的公共领域的叙述,以及他对交往行为理论的阐述,构成了他对20世纪修辞学理论所作的贡献。本文拟从修辞学的角度探讨哈贝马斯的批判理论,以便从一个全新的视角对他的理论进行解读。     

Measuring Children's Experience of Their Right to Participate in School and Community: A Rights‐Based Approach

This paper discusses the development of a children's rights‐based measure of participation and the findings from its use in a survey of 10‐ to 11‐year‐old children (n = 3773). The measure, which was developed in collaboration with a group of children, had a high reliability (Cronbach's alpha = 0.89). Findings suggest that children's positive experience of their participation rights is higher in school than in community, and higher for girls compared to boys. It is argued that involving children in the ‘measurement’ of their own lives has the potential to generate more authentic data on children's lived experiences.     

《手批尔雅义疏》同族词疏证七则

《手批尔雅义疏》是近代著名语源学家黄侃从事语源研究实践最重要的成果之一，其批语中系联了大量的同族词。经过系统梳理，并运用同类互证方法等加以验证，可以发现，“荎：挃”、“殻：螯”、“睔：棆”、“憋：鷩”、“跳：狣”、“串：贯：毋”、“讹：化”等还没有被现当代学者证实的同族词确实存在同源关系。     

Assessing emotional and social health using photographs: An innovative research method for rural studies and its applicability in a care-farming program for youth

A framework for assessing photographs for the emotional and social health of young people (SHAPE) is described and tested, within the context of a rural program. Two independent raters assessed the photographs of participants. To assess inter-rater reliability, Cohen’ K and Kendall’s W were calculated. The two reviewers’ assessments of photographs were in agreement. The assessment of emotional/behavioural display showed 82% agreement. Agreement between reviewers’ judgements of proxemics (W = .866), interaction (W = .722), engagement (W = .932) and overall impression (W = .804) were all significant (p < .005). The method yielded results indicating that participants found gardening immediately engaging but their approach to equines exhibited a change from fascination to confidence during the program. The visual-diary method is a useful and sensitive method for research: where resources are limited; to complement traditional measures; for use with people who lack appropriate verbal communication or literacy skills to complete questionnaires; young children; other underrepresented groups.     

Making Professional Decisions in Research: Measurement and Key Predictors

The professional decision-making in research (PDR) measure was administered to 400 National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded and industry-funded investigators, along with measures of cynicism, moral disengagement, compliance disengagement, impulsivity, work stressors, knowledge of responsible conduct of research (RCR), and socially desirable response tendencies. Negative associations were found for the PDR and measures of cynicism, moral disengagement, and compliance disengagement, while positive associations were found for the PDR and RCR knowledge and positive urgency, an impulsivity subscale. PDR scores were not related to socially desirable responding, or to measures of work stressors and the remaining impulsivity subscales. In a multivariate logistic regression analysis, lower moral disengagement scores, higher RCR knowledge, and identifying the United States as one’s nation of origin emerged as key predictors of stronger performance on the PDR. The implications of these findings for understanding the measurement of decision-making in research and future directions for research and RCR education are discussed.