多元主义视角下的社会科学研究方法再思考

Rethinking Social Science Research Methods from Pluralist Perspective

量化研究范式和质性研究范式之间分歧的根源,在于社会科学研究对象的复杂性。相对于自然科学的研究对象,社会科学的研究对象——社会本体更为复杂,依靠单一方法无法完全揭示社会的奥秘。因此,在研究方法的选择上,研究者秉持一种多元主义的态度可能更加有用。面对这些方法之间的争议,更有意义的做法是摆脱认识论和方法论"纯正性"的束缚,采用多元主义的态度,拒绝方法滥用、方法歧视等,始终紧扣研究对象的特性与研究目标,才可以正确选择和科学使用这些研究方法。

Fundamentally speaking,the difference between quantitative and qualitative research paradigms lies in the way of how to look at research object of social sciences,namely,human society.Compared with the object of natural sciences,human society is more complex,for its mystery cannot be fully revealed by any single method.Therefore,it may be more useful for researchers to take a pluralist attitude when choosing research methods.In the face of the disputes about methods,it is more meaningful to get rid of the constraint of"purity"of epistemology or methodology to take a pluralist attitude.This requires us to prevent method abuse,misuse or discrimination,so as to focus on the characteristics of research objects and targets.Only by doing so can methods be correctly selected and scientifically used.