International Journal of Social Research Methodology· 2014Q1
New materialist social inquiry: designs, methods and the research-assemblage
- 614citations
- Q1SCImago
- 2014year
Short summary
A new framework for social inquiry is proposed, treating research as a 'research-assemblage' where humans and non-human elements (data, methods, contexts) co-produce knowledge, moving beyond traditional human-centric approaches.
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Key points
- Proposes a new materialist approach to social inquiry, shifting focus from human agency to the co-production of the world by animate and inanimate assemblages.
- Introduces the concept of a 'research-assemblage' comprising researcher, data, methods, and contexts as central to the research process.
- Develops a framework for materialist social inquiry methodology and methods based on this concept and a review of 30 empirical studies.
- Discusses the epistemological consequences of adopting a materialist ontology for social research.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
This paper discusses issues of research design and methods in new materialist social inquiry, an approach that is attracting increasing interest across the social sciences as an alternative to either realist or constructionist ontologies. New materialism de-privileges human agency, focusing instead upon how assemblages of the animate and inanimate together produce the world, with fundamental implications for social inquiry methodology and methods. Key to our exploration is the materialist notion of a ‘research-assemblage’ comprising researcher, data, methods and contexts. We use this understanding first to explore the micropolitics of the research process, and then – along with a review of 30 recent empirical studies – to establish a framework for materialist social inquiry methodology and methods. We discuss the epistemological consequences of adopting a materialist ontology.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 2014 · DOI ↗
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Field: Geography, Planning and Development
Geography, Planning and DevelopmentSocial Sciences