Critical realism in empirical research: employing techniques from grounded theory methodology

Whilst critical realism (CR) is becoming recognised as a significant meta-theory for the social sciences, there is little guidance on how to produce research which is consistent with its ontological and epistemological assumptions. This article contributes to an emerging discussion about how CR can be applied, drawing on an example of a qualitative study that has sought to understand and explain the causes of unmet need amongst a group of rural labourers in Tunisia . Using this study as an illustration, I show how techniques from grounded theory methodology can be usefully harnessed in the data collection, coding and analysis stages of a research project that adopts a CR philosophical and methodological framework. I illustrate how an ‘abductive’ variant of grounded theory allowed drawing on pre-existing theoretical knowledge throughout the research stages; whilst open and axial coding techniques could be harnessed for identifying and postulating CR causal mechanisms. This article should be of interest to students and researchers involved with grounded theory and applied critical realism.     

Critical Success Factors for Strategic Alliances in the Information Technology Industry: An Empirical Study*

Intense competition in the marketplace is forcing organizations to examine different ways by which they could enhance or retain their competitive edge. Strategic alliance is one such option through which an organization can leverage its resources to emerge as an effective competitor. Such alliances are burgeoning in the information technology industry, which is characterized by rapid change and short innovation cycles. Successful management of alliances has proved to be very elusive for the most part, and there is a lack of theoretical and empirical work in this area. Literature on critical factors was synthesized, and then a parsimonious set of critical factors was identified using a combination of interview and survey methodologies. Our study has implications for both practice and future research.     

Midwifery Job Autonomy in New Zealand: I do it all the time

IntroductionThis research aimed to identify what supports and what hinders job autonomy for midwives in New Zealand.MethodsRegistered midwives participated in an open-ended, online survey in 2019. Anonymised participants were asked to describe an incident when they felt they were using their professional judgement and/or initiative to make decisions and the resultant actions. The data was analysed thematically.FindingsThe participants identified that autonomy is embedded within midwifery practice in New Zealand. Self-employed midwives who provide continuity of care as Lead Maternity Carers, identified they practice autonomously ‘all the time’. The relationship with women and their family, and informed decision making, motivated the midwife to advocate for the woman – regardless of the midwife’s work setting. Midwifery expertise, skills, and knowledge were intrinsic to autonomy. Collegial relationships could support or hinder the midwives’ autonomy while a negative hospital work culture could hinder job autonomy.DiscussionMidwives identified that autonomous practice is embedded in their day to day work. It strengthens and is strengthened by their relationships with the woman/whanau and when their body of knowledge is acknowledged by their colleagues. Job autonomy was described when midwifery decisions were challenged by health professionals in hospital settings and these challenges could be viewed as obstructing job autonomy.ConclusionThe high job autonomy that New Zealand midwives enjoy is supported by their expertise, the women and colleagues that understand and respect their scope of practice. When their autonomy is hindered by institutional culture and professional differences provision of woman-centred care can suffer.     

荀子未作《非十二子》篇贬抑思孟段新证

迄今为止,大多数学者仍持《非十二子》篇中贬抑思孟的部分为荀子亲作的观点,只有周炽成等少数学者证得并 主张其为伪作。然而,周先生的考证尚有不足甚至疏漏之处,本文主要对这几点不足进一步考证,力求以更完善合理的推论进 一步对该部分证伪。本文首先对该部分的写作意图进行考察,由该部分与其他部分之间的行文矛盾证明其伪;并重新考证该 部分的作者,主张该部分为子游氏后学所作,而由荀子后学引入荀文。希望以此番考证使人们更准确地理解荀子的思想,进而 倡导以学理争鸣并拒绝门户之见的为学态度。     

儿童语言获得研究综述

语言是儿童生长过程中掌握的最复杂的符号系统。不同研究学派对儿童如何获得语言进行了深入、持久的研究,从不同的角度揭示了儿童语言获得的机制。文章从生物学、学习理论、语言学、认知主义、社会相互作用理论五个侧面阐述与分析了儿童语言获得的基本观点与研究进展。     

西方关于中国民族问题新闻社论的语篇分析

以批评语言学理论为基础,针对美国主流媒体《纽约时报》、《华盛顿邮报》、《洛杉机时报》和《达拉斯晨报》上关于中国西藏的社论语篇进行分析,通过对西方关于中国民族问题新闻报道的透视,探究语言的意识形态功能,提升读者对英语社论进行批评性阅读的能力。     

History of and in Sociology

Epochal synthesis, retrospective ethnography, and critical comparison identify three distinct ways of thinking about history–sociology relations. Epochal synthesis has lost the favor it enjoyed 40 years ago, but is likely to revive with the rising prevalence of evolutionary explanations for social affairs. Retrospective ethnography requires an ability to reconstruct actors’ dispositions from the historical record, never an easy task. Critical comparison opens the way to specification of causal mechanisms and processes without reconstruction of dispositions. Retrospective ethnography and critical comparison will compete for historical sociologists’ attention for some time to come.     

一般综合阻尼系统的时序模型

本文研究在一般情况下同时计及粘性阻尼和结构阻尼的系统模态分析和时模型。阐明系统在状态空间中的性质,推导出位移传递函数的表达式。应用拉氏换和Z变换间关系,得到系统的ARMA时间序列模型,从而提供了用频域法和序法来识别该系统模态参数的途径。     

社会工作教育的理论与实践的再反思——以中国高校社会工作专业课程设计为例

自改革开放以来,中国高校社会工作专业课程正处于理论与实践的探索及初步发展之中。从课程设计的范式看,当今中国高校社会工作专业课程采取的是以科目为本的主流传遁模式,这种理性主义模式十分注重课程的规范化、体系化、学科化,但又缺乏弹性的课程设计空间。为此,笔者在对科目为本的社会工作专业课程理念的反思及建议融入批判实践范式的基础上,进一步从泰勒的课程原理的线性程序框架出发,具体地提出了目前我国高校社会工作专业课程的改革方向。     

On the time to extinction in recurrent epidemics

An approximation is derived for the expected time to extinction in a stochastic model for recurrent epidemics. Numerical illustrations indicate that the approximation is crude but that it has the correct order of magnitude. The quasi-stationary distribution plays an important role in the derivation. Approximations for the critical community size and of the persistence threshold are derived. Comments are made on the classical study by Bartlell (1956–1960).