The Use of Empiricist and Narrative Methods in Comparative Social Science Research: Lessons and Insights for Third World Studies and Research (Aspects OF THIRD WORLD DEVELOPMENT IN THE EARLY 21ST Century) (Report‪)‬

INTRODUCTION The main objective of this paper is to make a critical assessment from the perspective of Third World studies of the methodology used for data collection and analysis in comparative macro-social science research within the framework of broad ontological and epistemological debates in the social sciences in general, and sociology in particular. The paper begins with a general discussion of the empiricist method of scientific enquiry and explanation, which in my assessment is the hegemonic approach to knowledge claims and validation in contemporary social science. The general strategy and foundation of knowledge claims of the empiricist method is briefly reviewed, with the basic assumptions of the method highlighted. That is followed by an analysis of the efforts made to ameliorate the problems associated with the application of statistical techniques of explanation and reasoning in comparative macro-social science research. I then discuss an alternative epistemological perspective to empiricism. I argue that the use of narrative as a method of producing and validating knowledge claims in comparative-historical studies in the social sciences could be theoretically grounded on a social realist ontological perspective, which underscores how time, space, and the complexity of social reality limits the validity of universal law-like generalizations. I review how macro-international processes are integrated into historical-comparative research as reflected in the works of Theda Skocpol, Charles Tilly and Immanuel Wallerstein. The limitations of the research strategies used by these scholars were identified by Philip McMichael who suggests an alternative method of incorporated comparison on a world historical scale. The paper concludes by discussing methodological lessons and insights from the discussion and analysis that are relevant for Third World studies and research.