Critical Realist Research Paradigm for Beginners - 3 key things #researchmethods

The critical realist paradigm provides PhD students with a unique way of studying society, focusing on uncovering hidden structures and mechanisms while striving for fairness.

It says there's a difference between what's really out there and what we can actually see or measure. The “real" stuff exists on its own, while what we observe is shaped by our experiences and how we look at things.

Think of it like a scientist doing an experiment. They see the results, but those results are caused by things they can't directly see, like hidden laws or structures. It's a bit like how we can't see gravity, but we know it's there because things fall down.

Similarly, in society, what we see happening is
influenced by underlying structures and mechanisms that aren't immediately obvious.

Critical realists say it's important to understand this relationship between what we can see and what's really causing it.

So, according to critical realism, there are hidden things causing the visible things in society.

Understanding this helps us get a better grip on how society works. It's about going deeper than just what we can see on the surface, to uncover the fundamental forces shaping our social world.