Final

Question 1

What is critical research?

Answer 1

1. Critical research critiques previous theories and/or research methods.
2. Critical research always questions ideology (people’s assumptions)
3. Critical research tries to explain the world by (a) penetrating hidden structures and (b) freeing people from false ideologies.
4. The most familiar example of critical research perspective is feminism.

Question 2

The purpose of critical research

Answer 2

1. Empowerment - especially for less-powerful groups
2. Enlightenment - uncovering myths: exposing false ideologies.
3. Emancipation - freeing people from false ideologies. Helping people change the world for themselves.

Question 3

What are some assumptions of critical research?

Answer 3

1. Social reality evolves over times, and change is always happening.
2. Social reality has multiple layers, including
   the observable and deep structures. Only with
   effort can deep structures underneath the
   observable be revealed.
3. People may be trapped in a web of social
   meaning. As such they can be misled,
   mistreated, & exploited.

Question 4

What does critical research look at?

Answer 4

a) the reliability and validity of conclusions
drawn in previous research/theory
b) the comprehensiveness (inclusiveness) of the
work
c) the consistency of relevant evidence
d) the logical soundness of the arguments of the research/theory and how credible they are

Question 5

How can we recognize an article as a critical research?

Answer 5

1. Purpose of the research – is the purpose of the article related to the purposes of critical inquiry?
2. Underlying assumptions that might be questioned.
3. Process the investigators go through to arrive at their conclusions?

Question 6

What are three type of sources?

Answer 6

1. Primary source - journal, professional conf. proceedings, scholarly books - peer reviewed
2. Secondary source - once removed from original sources - quick note, lit. review, books on specific subject
3. General sources - step farther away from primary - daily newspapers, trade books, news weeklies, popular magazines

Question 7

What is theory?

Answer 7

An organization or framework of concepts that permits prediction of data
A set of related statements that explains a variety of occurrences

Question 8

How does a theory function?

Answer 8

1. Helps to organize data
2. Allows scientists to generate predictions for situations in which no data have been obtained
3. Suggests possible directions for future research this is what we do in quantitative research - test theoretical ideas with our data