THEORY AND METHOD IN SOUTH AFRICAN HUMAN SCIENCES RESEARCH: ADVANCES AND INNOVATIONS Edited by: Johann Mouton Johan Muller in conjunction with: Peter Franks Themba Sono (Commissioned by the Subcommittee on Methodology and the Analysis of Research) Human Sciences Research Council Pretoria 1998 Free download from www.hsrcpress.ac.za © Human Sciences Research Council, 1998 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. ISBN 0-7969-1864-3 Layout and design: Susan Smith Cover design: Alta Benadie HSRC Cataloguing-in-Publication Data Theory and method in South African human sciences research: advances and innovations / edited by Johann Mouton [et al.]. p. cm. (HSRC series in methodology: 40) Includes bibliographies. ISBN 0-7969-1864-3 1. Social sciences - Research - South Africa. 2. Social sciences - South Africa - Methodology. I. Mouton, Johann. II. Series. 1998 300.72068-dc21 Published by: HSRC Publishers Private Bag X41 Pretoria 0001 Printed by: HSRC Printers 230 Soutter Street Pretoria 0002 Free download from www.hsrcpress.ac.za THEORY AND METHOD IN SOUTH AFRICAN HUMAN SCIENCES RESEARCH: ADVANCES AND INNOVATIONS Free download from www.hsrcpress.ac.za HSRC SERIES IN METHODOLOGY Series Editor: Johann Mouton [Incorporating the HSRC Investigation into Research Methodology’s Research Reports Series (REPORTS) and the HSRC Studies in Research Methodology (STUDIES)] Published titles 1 Norva1, A.J. 1984. ’n Teoretiese studie van die metodologie van kruiskulturele houdingsmeting [Reports No.1] 2. Joubert, Dian. 1986. Waardes: Navorsing, metodologie en teorie [Reports No.2] 3. Mouton, Johann (ed). 1986. Social science, society and power [Reports No.3] 4. Mauer, K.F. & Retief, A.I. (eds) 1987. Psychology in context: Cross-cultural research trends in South Africa [Reports No.4] 5 Van Straaten, Z. (ed) 1987. Ideological beliefs in the social sciences [Reports No.5] 6 Retief, Alexis. 1988. Method and theory in Cross-cultural psychological assessment [Reports No.6] 7 Kruger, Dreyer. 1988. The problem of interpretation in psychotherapy [Reports No.7] 8 Strauss, D.F.M. 1988. Die grondbegrippe van die sosiologie as wetenskap [Reports No.6] 9 Mouton, J. et al. 1988. Essays in social theorizing [Reports No.9] 10 Mouton, J. 1988. The methodology and philosophy of the social sciences: A selective bibliography of anthologies [Reports No. 10] 11 Mouton, J. & Marais, H.C. 1985. Metodologie van die geesteswetenskappe: Basiese begrippe [Studies No.1] 12 Van Huyssteen, J.W.V. 1986. Teologie as kritiese geloofsverantwoording [Studies No.2] 13 Snyman, J.J. & Du Plessis, P.G.W. (reds) 1987. Wetenskapbeelde in die geesteswetenskappe [Studies No.3] 14 Mouton, J. & Marais, H.C. 1988. Basic concepts in the methodology of the social sciences [Studies No.4] 15 Mouton, J.; Van Aarde, AG. & Vorster, W.S. (eds) 1988. Paradigms and progress in theology [Studies No.5] 16 Frost, M.; Vale, P. & Weiner, D. (eds) 1989. International relations: A debate on methodology 17 Nel. P. 1989. Approaches to Soviet politics 18 Mouton, J. & Joubert, D. (eds) 1990. Knowledge and method in the human sciences 19 Venter, F. 1990. Regsnavorsing – aard, doel en metode 20 Erasmus, P. 1991. Antropologiese paradigmas en stedelike navorsing 21 Louw, J. 1990. Professionalizing psychology 22 Van der Walt, J.L. 1992. Fundamentele opvoedkunde en die ontisiteit van opvoeding 23 Burger, C.W. 1991. Praktiese teologie in Suid-Afrika. ’n Ondersoek na die denke oor sekere voorvrae van die vak 24 Coertzen, P. 1991. Gepas en ordelik 25 Van Veuren, P. 1991. Argumente – Kriteria – Kritiek 26 Van Vuuren, R. 1991. Dialogue beyond polemics 27 Lategan, B.C. (ed.) 1992. The reader and beyond 28 Joubert, Dian. 1992. Reflections on social values 29 Van Niekerk, A 1992. Rasionaliteit en relativisme. Op soek na ’n rasionaliteitsmodel vir die menswetenskappe 30 Saunders, C. 1992. Writing history. South Africa’s urban past and other essays 31 Snyman, J. (ed.) 1993. Conceptions of social inquiry 32 Rüsen, J. 1993. Studies in metahistory 33 Mouton, J. & Lategan. B.C. 1994. The relevance of theology for the 1990s 34 Deist, F. 1994. Ervaring, rede en metode in skrifuitleg 35 Viljoen, H. (red.) 1995. Metodologie en representasie 36 Snyman. J. (red.) 1995. Wetenskapbeelde in die geesteswetenskappe 37 Stones, C.R. 1996. Qualitative research approaches to psychotherapy process 38 Nel, P. 1996. Persuasion and science: a review and assessment of the rhetoric of inquiry 39 Mouton, J. & Muller, J. 1998. Knowledge, method and the public good 40 Mouton, J, Muller, J., Franks, P. & Sono T. 1998. Theory and method in South African Human Sciences Research: Advances and innovations. Free download from www.hsrcpress.ac.za PREFACE This publication forms part of a recent programme to assess the state of the social and human sciences in South Africa. The Analysis of Research in the Human Sciences programme, as it was known, commenced in 1993 under the auspices of the Human Sciences Research Council. The programme was concluded in 1995 (Final report entitled "Social knowledge for societal transformation"). Four main areas of analysis were identified by the steering committee early on in the programme. These were: issues related to research resources; the implementation and usefulness of human sciences research; quality of research; and methodological and epistemological issues. The subcommittee 1 which was appointed to investigate methodological and epistemological issues spelt its objectives out in more detail. The following more specific goals were identified:  To present a historical overview of the emergence and development of different methodological approaches within South African social sciences;  To record attitudes towards methodological and epistemological developments within particular debates;  To address the issue of, and future scope for, interdisciplinary work in the human and social sciences. The committee decided to involve as many scholars as possible in this review. For this reason more than 20 papers were commissioned in 1995. This book reprints a selection of these commissioned papers. The select bibliography at the end of the book was compiled by Lesley Powell under the guidance of Johann Mouton. Its aim is to present an overview of methodological and epistemological publications by South African authors over the past three decades. It does not claim to be comprehensive, but provides sufficient evidence of the broad scope and interests of South African human scientists in these areas. Free download from www.hsrcpress.ac.za The editors hope that this collection will become a useful reference source for all social scientists who are interested in methodological and epistemological issues. We believe that it presents an accurate reflection of the range of work and level of sophistication that South African scholars have attained in this domain. We must make two points about the editing: first, some contributions had to be shortened because of constraints of space; secondly, we have tried throughout not to change peculiarities in style. The different authors have clearly interpreted their brief quite differently. We have, unless it seemed to us to be essential, chosen to keep contributions as much as possible as they were originally written. Editors: Johann Mouton Johan Muller with Peter Franks and Themba Sono Endnotes 1 Peter Franks (Chair), Johann Mouton, Johan Muller and Themba Sono. Free download from www.hsrcpress.ac.za CONTENTS INTRODUCTION Tracking trends in theory and method: Past and future 1 Johann Mouton and Johan Muller CHAPTER 1 Economic history/political economy in South Africa: 19 An assessment William M. Freund CHAPTER 2 Post-Marxism in South Africa: Some provisional 33 observations Andreas Bertoldi and Susan van Zyl CHAPTER 3 Post-colonialism in South African social science 53 Windsor S. Leroke CHAPTER 4 Afrocentrism in South African social science: What has 67 been done, how useful has it been? Themba Sono CHAPTER 5 “Where angels fear to tread”: Feminism in South Africa 85 Annmarie Wolpe Free download from www.hsrcpress.ac.za CHAPTER 6 The new rhetoric 105 Philip Nel CHAPTER 7 Explanatory power and truth: The promise of critical 129 realism in theology Daniel P. Veldsman CHAPTER 8 Comparative religious studies 143 David Chidester CHAPTER 9 Normative theory in international relations 163 Mervyn Frost CHAPTER 10 Deconstructing and reconstructing South African 183 psychology Peter du Preez CHAPTER 11 Cross-cultural measurement in the human sciences 209 N. C. W. Claassen CHAPTER 12 Action research and participatory research in South Africa 239 Melanie Walker Free download from www.hsrcpress.ac.za CHAPTER 13 Programme evaluation: a structured assessment 255 Johann Louw CHAPTER 14 Organizational survey interventions 269 Peter E. Franks and Allison C. Cassidy CHAPTER 15 Geographical information systems 289 E.L. Nel and T. Hill CHAPTER 16 Sampling in heterogeneous populations 307 D.J. Stoker SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY 319 Free download from www.hsrcpress.ac.za Free download from www.hsrcpress.ac.za [...]...Introduction Tracking trends in theory and method: Past and future Free download from www.hsrcpress.ac.za Johann Mouton and Johan Muller Why is a review of methodological and theoretical developments and innovations in a discipline or collection of disciplines important and, perhaps, even useful? We would argue that an interest in methodology and theorizing in the social sciences is part and parcel... social sciences as the key to national understanding In South Africa, it will be argued that, while we have a small and interesting community of scholars who have in somewhat parallel way explored the problems of racism and inequality, their international interest and reputation is largely confined to Africanist circles – in the sense of those who define their interests as largely confined to the continent... represented in South Africa The Human Sciences Research Council, as well as institutions such as the Institute for Democratic Alternatives in South Africa, the Institute for Multi-Party Democracy, university-based centres such as the South African Labour and Development Research Unit (UCT), the Centre for Social and Development Studies (UN), and the Institute for Social and Economic Research (UDW), research. .. www.hsrcpress.ac.za Methodology and theory Methodology is defined as the “logic of social inquiry” Methodological reflection refers to any inquiry into the nature and structure of the process of empirical inquiry It has become customary to distinguish between the specific methods and techniques that are employed in the practice of research, and broader methodological paradigms or approaches Whereas “methods” and “techniques”... and case study methods, “methodology” usually refers to the underlying logic or principles that are presupposed in the usage of such methods and techniques A methodology is a systematic approach to research which involves a clear preference for certain methods and techniques within the framework of specific epistemological and ontological assumptions This means that the choice for certain methods and. .. collected here Methodological developments (and sometimes innovations) in cross-cultural research and rural sampling (to mention only two) were, and still are, affected by the cultural diversity and specific demographics of South African society But developments in methodology and theory are not only influenced by local factors As we will see, the increasing globalization of social science means that international... part and parcel of the intellectual enterprise The human scientist cannot but reflect continuously on what he or she is doing, what assumptions and presuppositions play a role in social inquiry, which theoretical traditions and paradigms are influential in determining, or at least influencing, research choices and agendas Methodological and theoretical scholarship is essential to research itself because... measurement (Du Preez and Claassen) and geographical information systems (Nel and Hill) It is not surprising that South African scholars have paid so much attention to the methodological issues involved in sampling, given the particular demographic profile of the country and problems involved in sampling rural areas and informal settlements Similarly, the interest in cross-cultural studies does not... (Schurink & Schurink, 1988) and Ferreira (1990) at the HSRC At the “institutional” level it is worth referring to three research centres with a pronounced emphasis on qualitative research The HSRC’s Centre for Research Methodology, headed by Ineke Meulenburg-Buskens, a structural anthropologist in the LeviStrauss mode, focuses most of its training and consultancy on qualitative research In the market research. .. the northern hemisphere in epistemology and social theory Again, despite the academic boycott, many South African scholars were able to retain some links with international networks It is unfortunately also true that, despite this extensive interest in and engagement with international debates, no South African scholar has made a significant original contribution to social theory Whether 10 this is . THEORY AND METHOD IN SOUTH AFRICAN HUMAN SCIENCES RESEARCH: ADVANCES AND INNOVATIONS Edited by: Johann Mouton Johan Muller in conjunction. Layout and design: Susan Smith Cover design: Alta Benadie HSRC Cataloguing -in- Publication Data Theory and method in South African human sciences research: