crm -- short question

The questions below are for reference only. Please go back to the notes if you have any problems. And of course, it is welcome for you to leave a comment on it.

Positivism and Positivist methods in Social research

Positivism is a systematic philosophical explanation of what account science. It is based on empiricism, a philosophical school concerning the basis of knowledge.

What is positivism?

Positivism’s account of scientific knowledge rested on some basic assumptions.Firstly, the positivism assume that the basic of scientific knowledge is sensory experience. The sensory experience, such as sweet in mouth, would be the only source of all ideas about external world. The positivism agree that knowledge can be put to test if sensory experience is if scientific value only.

Secondly, through sensory experience, it is possible to observe and record the “bare facts” of the world. All observer will observe exactly the same “bare facts” so that observation is the source of scientific ideas.

Thirdly, the universe behaves with regularities which are directly observable through sensory experience. The sensory experience helps to built up our mind, and so to perceive facts. And therefore, the law-liked statement can be tested on the basis of sensory observation.

Comments on positivism

However, there is some critics on positivism. Karl Popper has suggested that observation is theory-laden. Observations is not a secure and only basis on which establish scientific knowledge, that is mean whether or not an idea scientific or not does not depend on whether or not it is derived form observation.

For example, before Galileo invent a telescope, all people believe that the earth is the center of universe. But that believe is theory-laden so that no one accept the new idea.

Positivist methods in Social research

To prevent subjective mind, positivist try to make the research objective, so that they try to make all data quantitative and capable for a research process to transform concepts into variables to make the research workable.

For example, when we want to transform a concept, such as reliability of a employee, we have to transform reliability to some variables, such as the number of late coming, absent or works after deadline.

But all in all, quantitative data should also have value on research methods. Especially in the communication research, it is too hard to accept qualitative data as the only basic of scientific knowledge.