Contingent Eclecticism

For more than a century, methodological diversity within the social sciences has been the source of recurrent paradigm wars, and no obvious winner seems to be in sight. The aim of this article is to explore the contingencies underlying this diversity. It is argued that the shared condition of complexity forces us to adopt a pragmatic perspective from which even relevant ontological and epistemological assumptions should be thought of as contextual rather than absolute. In particular, the extent to which social causality is perceived as stable and universal vs. dynamic and contextual and the extent to which research‐related reflexivity is an issue appear to set apart the different approaches. Towards the end of the article examples of methodological fit and misfit are provided to illustrate the relevancy of the “contingent eclecticism” observed in practice

Eclecticism · Epistemology · Sociology · Theology · Islamic Studies and History · Philosophy · Psychology

• Contingency, novelty and choice. Cultural evolution as internal selection

  Open Access•Bernd Baldus•Journal for the Theory of Social…•2014

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• Organizations

  W Richard Scott•Organizations•1987

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• The sociology of science

  Robert King Merton•The sociology of science•1973

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• Explaining Social Behavior

  Open Access•Jon Elster•Explaining Social Behavior•2007

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• An evolutionary theory of economic change

  Richard R Nelson•An evolutionary theory of…•1982

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• Essays on Philosophical Subjects

  Adam C Smith, Adam Smith et al.•Essays on philosophical subjects•1795

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• The Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

  Robert Κ Merton, Robert K Merton•The Antioch Review•1948

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• Capitalism and Modern Social Theory

  Open Access•Anthony Giddens•Capitalism and Modern Social Theory•1971

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• Participation in Victim-Offender Mediation and the Prevalence of Subsequent Delinquent Behavior

  Open Access•William R Nugent, Mona Williams et al.•Research on Social Work Practice•2004

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• Reflexive Predictions

  Open Access•Roger C Buck, R Creighton Buck•Philosophy of Science•1963

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• More on Reflexive Predictions

  Open Access•Mary K Vetterling•Philosophy of Science•1976

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• Action Research and Minority Problems

  Open Access•Kurt Lewin•Journal of Social Issues•1946

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• Uncertainty, Evolution, and Economic Theory

  Armen A Alchian•Journal of Political Economy•1950

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• On Keynesian Economics and the Economics of Keynes

  Joan Robinson, Axel Leijonhufvud•The Economic Journal•1969

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• Vita Contemplativa

  Open Access•William H Starbuck•Organization Studies•2004

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• Erkenntnis und Interesse

  Jürgen Habermas•Erkenntnis und Interesse•1973

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• The Dynamics and Evolution of Social Systems

  Open Access•Jürgen Klüver•The Dynamics and Evolution of…•2013

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• A Realist Theory of Science

  Roy Bhaskar•A realist theory of science•2013

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• The social construction of reality

  Peter L Berger, Peter L Luckmann Thomas A Berger et al.•The social construction of reality•1967

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• An invitation to reflexive sociology

  Pierre Bourdieu•An invitation to reflexive…•1992

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• The Boundary of the Self-Fulfilling Prophecy and the Dilemma of Social Prediction

  Richard L Henshel•British Journal of Sociology•1982

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• Social Theory and Social Structure

  N S Timasheff•Thought•1950

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• Isaac Newton's Influence on Adam Smith's Natural Laws in Economics

  Norriss S Hetherington•Journal of the History of Ideas•1983

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