Critical Realist Perspective Research Articles

Dreams and Visions

This article develops a narrative framework toward a methodology for my research exploring the call and practice of pioneer ministers in the Church of England. I argue for a critical realist perspective as a means of affirming and valuing spiritual experience as a locus for knowledge. Drawing on the work of Alasdair MacIntyre and NT Wright a narrative framework of “intelligibility” is developed in which to place such testimonies of experience. This framework is then shaped by a biblical pneumatology whereby the work of salvation is driven forward toward the telos of the Kingdom by the mediation of the Holy Spirit. The value of this framework is explored in light of my future research into the experiences of pioneer ministers for whom discerning the missio Dei is a key part of their call and ongoing ministry in innovative mission and ecclesial reimagination. Attention is therefore given to the implications of this for practical theology and for spiritual discernment as a part of a methodology of empirical research.

OPTImising the implementation of pulMonary rehAbiLitation in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (the OPTIMAL study): mixed methods study protocol

BackgroundChronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common respiratory condition characterised by dyspnoea during daily life. As the disease progresses, people with COPD can experience poor quality of life, reduced exercise capacity, worsening of symptoms and increased hospital admissions. Pulmonary rehabilitation, which includes exercise training, optimises both psychological and physical function, reduces symptoms and mitigates healthcare utilisation in people with COPD. There is, however, a gap in implementation of pulmonary rehabilitation programs, with global access limited to a small fraction of people with COPD. The overall aim of this study is to gather evidence that will optimise the implementation of pulmonary rehabilitation in people with COPD living in Perth, Western Australia.MethodsThis is a mixed methods study protocol informed by a critical realist perspective. The study will comprise four phases. In Phase 1, we will quantify target behaviours of healthcare professionals and people with COPD which are related to the implementation of pulmonary rehabilitation at three tertiary hospitals. In Phase 2, we will conduct semi-structured interviews to explore the determinants of these target behaviours from the perspectives of healthcare professionals, people with COPD and their primary support person. In Phase 3, knowledge gained in Phases 1 and 2 will be used by healthcare professionals and people with COPD to co-create, field test and apply strategies that optimise these target behaviours. In Phase 4, we will re-quantify these target behaviours to determine the influence of co-created strategies. The cost effectiveness of implementing the co-created strategies will be explored by an economic analysis.DiscussionUnderstanding current clinical practice and the determinants of target behaviours pertaining to the implementation of pulmonary rehabilitation is crucial when developing strategies that successfully bridge the pulmonary rehabilitation implementation gap. If co-created strategies are effective, more people with COPD living in Perth, Western Australia will have access to pulmonary rehabilitation enabling them to derive the health benefits associated with this intervention.

Chronological quarantine and ageism: COVID-19 and gerontology's relationship with age categorisation

AbstractIn March 2020, the government of the United Kingdom advised all people aged 70 and above to self-isolate stringently for a minimum of 12 weeks in response to COVID-19. The British Society of Gerontology criticised the government for ignoring individual differences, deeming the approach ageist. Former British Geriatrics Society president David Oliver contested accusations of ageism, arguing that the approach was pragmatic discrimination based on epidemiological evidence. This debate catalyses core gerontological tensions regarding ageism, discrimination, categorisation and heterogeneity. A critical realist perspective reveals that both the government and gerontology are struggling to negotiate these irresolvable tensions. Contrary to the binary debate, age-based isolation simultaneously represents pragmatic discrimination and value-driven ageism. However, it does so partly because it relies on a chronologic epistemology that positions age as a potent biosocial axis of meaningful difference, thereby reflecting gerontology's own ageism. The ethical purism of gerontological accusations of ageism is thus somewhat misplaced, potentially obscuring an opportunity for reflection on value-laden engagements with age in social research.

A critical realist perspective on humanness as a meaningful re‐entry of relational distinctions

AbstractAll forms of humanism that consider the human as a yardstick of society are marginalized by a Digital Technological Matrix that dominates the human, minimizes its role, and transforms it, to the point of dissolving its boundaries with the non‐human. Speaking of essence and human dignity still make sense? The thesis of this contribution is that the human is redefined and re‐evaluated precisely due to the process that makes the human ‘eccentric’ and places it in the system environment. The human re‐emerges as an intransitive essence endowed with an original, humble, relational dignity. The human can and must be regenerated through the relational reflexivity operated by relational subjects contextually capable of re‐entering within themselves the constitutive distinctions of their humanness, both individual and collective. The specific ‘intransitive’ essence of the human lies in the impossibility for it to renounce the meaning of its own existence. Precisely because of the confrontation with robotic technologies, the value of the human being and his dignity change.

Organizational moral learning by spiritual hearts: a synthesis of organizational learning, Islamic and critical realist perspectives

Learning and development are often linked in the organization studies literature. To understand the dynamics of organizational moral development, this paper utilizes the notion of organizational moral learning (OML). It is explored using three perspectives: organizational learning, Islamic and critical realist perspectives. The perspectives are then synthesized together to form a single framework, called the OML by ‘spiritual hearts’ framework. At the centre of the framework is the spiritual heart, the seat of profound understanding and moral consciousness. The heart plays a central role in organizational moral development, especially with regard to its potential to be ‘purified’ and corrupted. Two extreme parameters then are created: on one side is the ‘purified hearts’ with high moral consciousness contributing towards OML, and on the other is the ‘corrupted hearts’ with high immoral consciousness contributing towards organizational immoral learning. Between the two extremes are the ‘diseased hearts’, possessing a mixture of moral and immoral consciousness to various degrees, and have the potentials to contribute to both moral and immoral developments. The paper further suggests strategies to facilitate OML and simultaneously inhibits organizational immoral learning.

Theory of Religion and Historical Research. A Critical Realist Perspective on the Study of Religion as an Empirical Discipline

Abstract The article discusses the connection between theory formation and historical research in the study of religion. It presupposes that the study of religion is conceived of as an empirical discipline. The empirical basis of theories is provided primarily by historical research, including research in the very recent past, that is, the present time. Research in the history of religions, therefore, is an indispensable part of the study of religion. However, in recent discussions on the methods, aims, and theoretical presuppositions of the discipline, research in the history of religions largely is ignored. To shed some light on this blind spot, the article builds on the philosophy of science of Critical Realism. While the first part deals with the role of historical research in theoretical discourses of the discipline, the second part explains fundamental ontological and epistemological positions of Critical Realism and their implications for empirical research. On this basis, some methodological problems of theory formation in the study of religion are discussed in the third part. In particular, it is argued that it is impossible to validate empirically theories of religion that aim to explain what religion is. The concluding part sketches ways of theory formation in the study of religion that does not take religion as the explanandum but as the theoretical perspective that guides research.

Experiences of Pulmonary Rehabilitation in People Living with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Frailty. A Qualitative Interview Study.

Rationale: People living with both chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and frailty have high potential to benefit from pulmonary rehabilitation but face challenges completing programs. However, research to understand ways to optimize participation in this group is lacking.Objectives: To explore the experiences, needs, and preferences of people with COPD and frailty referred for outpatient pulmonary rehabilitation.Methods: Semistructured interviews with people with COPD and physical frailty, purposively sampled by age, living status, level of frailty, and completion of pulmonary rehabilitation. Thematic analysis with a critical realist perspective was used, involving relevant stakeholders with clinical, academic, and lived experience for interpretive rigor.Results: Nineteen people with COPD and frailty were interviewed, with a median age of 78 years (range, 58–88). Nine did not complete their pulmonary rehabilitation program. Four themes were identified: striving to adapt to multidimensional loss, tensions of balancing support with independence, pulmonary rehabilitation as a challenge worth facing, and overcoming unpredictable disruptions to participation. Participants described constantly adapting to their changing health and resulting multidimensional losses (e.g., functional abilities, relationships, confidence). This involved traversing between independence and seeking support, set against a mismatch between their needs and what support is available. People with COPD and frailty can be highly motivated to participate in pulmonary rehabilitation, despite the physical and mental demands it entails, and report a range of benefits. Yet in the context of changeable health, they must often overcome multiple unpredictable disruptions to completing rehabilitation programs. Participant determination and flexibility of services can facilitate ongoing attendance, but for some, these unpredictable disruptions erode their motivation to attend.Conclusions: People with COPD and frailty experience accumulating, multidimensional loss. This group are motivated to complete pulmonary rehabilitation but often require additional support and flexibility owing to fluctuating and unpredictable health. Person-centered approaches should be considered to minimize disruptive health events and support pulmonary rehabilitation participation and completion. Service adaptations could allow more flexibility to meet the changing needs of this group and enable communication around how pulmonary rehabilitation might align with their priorities.

Hampering teaching excellence? Academics making decisions in the face of contradictions

ABSTRACT Universities might aspire to teaching excellence, but do they enable academic teachers to make good teaching decisions? Using a critical realist perspective, a qualitative interview study in England and Australia explored academics’ experiences of teaching decisions and their responses to strategic, institutional and departmental teaching policy and planning. Complex and contradictory conditions that challenged academics’ experiences of teaching and prevented effective decision-making were found. The paper identifies aspects of university functioning that act to prevent the achievement of teaching excellence. It argues that excellence in teaching requires coherent and integrated approaches and commitment right across the institution. For this to happen, universities need to consider how stated strategic learning and teaching ambitions are communicated, implemented, supported and, importantly, how they are understood and enacted throughout all levels and areas of the organisation, including many that hitherto do not consider they have a role in learning and teaching.

Developing mixed methods research in sport and exercise psychology: potential contributions of a critical realist perspective

ABSTRACT Notwithstanding diverse opinions and debates about mixing methods, mixed methods research (MMR) is increasingly being used in sport and exercise psychology. In this paper, we describe MMR trends within leading sport and exercise psychology journals and explore critical realism as a possible underpinning framework for conducting MMR. Our meta-study of recent empirical mixed methods studies published in 2017–2019 indicates that eight (36%) of the 22 MMR studies explicitly stated a paradigmatic position (five drew on pragmatism, two switched paradigms between qualitative and quantitative elements of the study, and one was situated in relativist-interpretivism). The remaining 14 (64%) studies did not report their underpinning research philosophical assumptions. Evaluating the merits and limitations of these positions against critical realist assumptions suggests that several paradigmatic disagreements are potentially reconcilable. These include (a) maintaining that ontological and epistemological concerns are important for methodological integrity of a mixed methods study; (b) switching between paradigms in the same study is problematic; and (c) refuting the qualitative-quantitative incommensurability thesis, therefore allowing mixed methods research without compromising philosophical coherence. From a critical realist position, we suggest that both quantitative and qualitative designs are justifiable in a mixed methods study because (1) they help corroborate, refine, or refute plausible explanations of phenomena (epistemological), but (2) with different methodologies utilised to perform different tasks in the same research design related to different psycho-social system features (ontological). We call for a collaborative engagement by researchers across paradigmatic positions to work towards the advancement of methodological pluralism in our research community.

The logico-formalist turn in comparative and case study methods: a critical realist critique

ABSTRACT Comparative and case study researchers have responded to critiques of their methods by developing formal procedures to validate theoretical claims through set theoretical logics of causal conditions. This ‘logico-formalist turn’ has involved the stricter application of the schemas of set theory and the philosophy of logic to raise validation standards of theoretical and causal claims in comparative historical research. This paper critiques these solutions from a critical realist standpoint. It argues that the cost of such a defense has been the retention of positivist assumptions of causal inference and the downplaying of the importance of interpretive and theory-building work in comparative and case study research. By contrast, critical realism’s process of retroduction sees causal analysis not as proceeding inductively from empirical observation to causal proposition, but rather points out the constant epistemic shift from the level of empirical observation to that of the theoretical description of intransitive causal powers. The paper highlights the ways in which the meta-theoretical perspective of critical realism makes possible a full break with both positivism and the implicit empiricism of the logico-formalist turn.

Understanding adult education in community contexts: A critical realist perspective

Third‐sector community organisations are important sites for learning, especially for the most excluded groups in society. However, scant attention has been paid to the various factors shaping educational provision in community contexts, and how these interact to shape the provision available to marginalised populations. This article presents new evidence addressing this gap, through drawing on interview data from practitioners working in the UK homelessness sector. It identifies a range of factors shaping educational provision in these community contexts. These are: service user need and demand; staff roles and capacity; organisational purpose and structures; national policies; support from other adult education providers; non‐governmental finance; and volunteers. With some modification, and placed within an overarching critical realist framework, it is argued that these findings are consistent with Boeren’s comprehensive lifelong learning participation model. The article concludes that so long as government policy and related funding continues to ignore and fails to support educational provision in these settings, it will remain piecemeal and highly contingent on the contribution of volunteers and short‐term funding.

SCIENCE FICTION AND METHODOLOGY

SCIENCE FICTION AND METHODOLOGY

Treadmills of Production and Destruction in the Anthropocene

Human activities in Latin American countries have resulted in past and ongoing deforestation located in the Amazon and the Andes. Demonstrative of this new Anthropocene Epoch, the illegal production of cocaine stands as a major driver of these environmental outcomes in these countries; however, in recent years the extraction of illegal gold has yielded larger export values than that of cocaine. The consequences of these practices have far-reaching environmental, economic, and social consequences. Using a critical realist perspective, we investigate and analyze how, when, and under what conditions the treadmills of production and destruction are absent, present, and thriving in Colombia and Peru. The implications of these relationships are grave as both the Amazon and the Andes are undergoing extensive transformations – damage that represents the Anthropocene Epoch in which human activities are driving ecological systems toward “tipping points”. We find that the two treadmills operate differently within each country and that treadmills are not ubiquitous but are, instead, contingent. We underscore the fact that when present, both types of treadmills have the ability to engage in social and environmental destructions, sometimes violently so.

A Critical Realist Perspective on Organizations’ Approach to Blockchain

Blockchain technology, a decentralized infrastructure validating tamper-resistant transactions, was introduced roughly one decade ago. Till today, numerous financial serviceproviders (FSPs) claim to have developed and test use cases as well as prototypes of blockchain-based solutions. However, hitherto organizations do not scale their existing solutions. As a result, the actual business value of blockchain falls short of the expected business value of the technology. Information systems (IS) researchers increasingly criticize this situation and develop recommendations for FSPs how to foster the adoption of the technology, thereby trying to realize their dream of a fully decentralized blockchain-economy. This paper asserts, however, that despite having good intentions, IS researchers currently neglect an essential characteristic of blockchain technology, i.e., equivocality. IS researchers should consider that FSPs apply the technology not only in different ways but also because of a plethora of reasons and causes, which is why we cannot treat FSPs as equal based on the assumption that they are all ‘adopters’. Using a critical realist perspective, we found divergences between FSPs’ actions taken toward the adoption of blockchain technology, i.e., what they do, and why and how they adopt the technology. Our results disclose the need to develop more differentiated recommendations that take into account the impact of sensemaking activities as well as the divergent motives of FSPs which induce them to adopt blockchain technology.

Ontologising social justice in decolonised and post-apartheid settings

One topical issue in South Africa since the 1994 democratic elections is how a socially just higher education may be advanced in the context of the decolonial demand for the recognition of diverse epistemologies in the curriculum. The challenge since 1994 however has been what social justice means in the decolonial and post-apartheid settings where injustices continue to be perpetrated on the basis of race, albeit covertly. This article examines African and South African epistemologies and ontologies of social justice, in the context of decoloniality and curricula transformation in higher education, that became more pronounced through the #Feesmustfall protests in 2015. I argue that while social justice occurs within particular historical and political contexts, it is necessary to discern some ontologies of social justice that are not necessarily reducible to contexts. Use is made of Realist (R), Critical Realist (CR) and Race Realist Theory (RRT) perspective to unpack paradoxical constructions of social justice in post-colonial and post-apartheid South Africa.

Didactic Strategies, Class Management Practices and Learning Performances in the High School Economic Education. A Critical Realism Perspective

Didactic Strategies, Class Management Practices and Learning Performances in the High School Economic Education. A Critical Realism Perspective

Workplace-based health research training: a qualitative study of perceived needs in a rural setting

BackgroundThe calls for increased numbers of researchers in rural health are growing. To meet this demand, training is needed. If training is to be effective, the value placed on research, the organisational need for research training and key targets for research skill development within a rural health organisation must be understood.MethodsThis qualitative study was underpinned by a critical realist perspective that allowed exploration of the organisational, cultural and structural contexts of research training and of the ability of individuals to act within these contexts. Individual interviews with purposively selected key informants from the organisation’s board, executive and facility management (n = 7) and two focus groups with a convenience sample of frontline health workers with interests in research (total n = 11) were held. Data were analysed using NVivo software and thematic analysis.ResultsThe themes emerging from this study were the fragmentation of research activity, a need for systems that support research and collaboration for expertise.ConclusionsThis study has identified an overreliance on individual activity leading to a fragmented approach to research. There is a need for supportive structures, coordination and workplace leadership to overcome a longstanding culture that views research as out of the rural scope of practice. Identifying research training targets, partnering for educational expertise and planning for long-term sustainability are necessary steps toward increasing research activity in the longer term.

Social movements thinking for managing change in large-scale systems

PurposeThis study explores the efficacy of social movements thinking for mobilizing resources toward sustainable change in large-scale systems such as health and social services.Design/methodology/approachThe study proceeds from a critical realist perspective employing a qualitative multi-case study approach. Drawing on the tenets of grounded theory (i.e. constant comparative analysis and theoretical sampling), data from semi-structured interviews and field notes were analyzed to facilitate theoretical integration and elaboration.FindingsOne case study explores the emergence of social movements thinking in mobilizing a community to engage in sustainable system change. Data analysis revealed a three-stage conceptual framework whereby building momentum for change requires a fundamental shift in culture through openness and engagement to challenge the status quo by acknowledging not only the apparent problems to be addressed but also the residual apathy and cynicism holding the system captive to entrenched ideas and behaviors. By challenging the status quo, energy shifts and momentum builds as the community discovers shared values and goals. Achieving a culture shift of this magnitude requires leadership that is embedded within the community, with a personal commitment to that community and with the deep listening skills necessary to understand and engage the community and the wider system in moving forward into change. This emergent conceptual framework is then used to compare and discuss more intentional applications of social movements thinking for mobilizing resources for large-scale system change.Originality/valueThis study offers a three-stage conceptual framework for mobilizing community/system resources toward sustainable large-scale system change. The comparative application of this framework to more intentional applications of social movements thinking to planned change initiatives offers insights and lessons to be learned when large-scale systems attempt to apply such principles in redesigning health and social service systems.

The contemporary civilizational crisis from the perspective of critical realism

ABSTRACT I begin this article by arguing that it is justified to believe in the real presence of a civilizational crisis in the contemporary world; and that this crisis is a real, emergent phenomenon. In so doing, I attempt to define the notions of ‘civilization’ and ‘crisis’. I also attempt to describe and explain this contemporary civilizational crisis in terms of morphogenetic and morphostatic categories. This attempt is founded upon the theory of social order, and it shows, in a most synthetic way, in a nutshell, key transformation processes that may be observed in the contemporary world. I present these processes in terms of both their social structure and culture; and in terms of their institutional, economic and demographic order. The theoretical basis for this purpose is the idea of critical realism and morphogenesis by Margaret S. Archer and Roy Bhaskar.

Applying and Assessing Large-N QCA: Causality and Robustness From a Critical Realist Perspective

Applying qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) to large Ns relaxes researchers’ case-based knowledge. This is problematic because causality in QCA is inferred from a dialogue between empirical, theoretical, and case-based knowledge. The lack of case-based knowledge may be remedied by various robustness tests. However, being a case-based method, QCA is designed to be sensitive to such tests, meaning that also large- N QCA robustness tests must be evaluated against substantive knowledge. This article connects QCA’s substantive-interpretation approach of causality to critical realism. From that perspective, it identifies relevant robustness tests and applies them to a real-data large- N QCA study. Robustness test findings are visualized in a robustness table, and this article develops criteria to substantively interpret them. The robustness table is introduced as a tool to substantiate the validity of causal claims in large- N QCA studies.