You can generalize stupid! Social scientists, bent Flyvberg, and case study methodology

被引:112
作者
Ruddin, Lee Peter
机构
关键词
generalization; critical case; Aristotle; Flyvbjerg's misunder-standings; Iran/Iraq war;
D O I
10.1177/1077800406288622
中图分类号
C [社会科学总论];
学科分类号
03 ; 0303 ;
摘要
It is an issue of some contestation as to whether generalization is an appropriate requisite to demand of case study research in any case. The author argues that the critique is misdirected, and based on Bent Flyvbjerg's concept of a "critical case," ways of generalizing from case studies are indicated (Iran/Iraq War of 1980). In addition, the author illustrates that the case study is idyllic for generalizing using the brand of test that Karl Popper called "falsification." Conversely, the author exhibits Robert Stake's ethos that case studies need not make any claims about the generalizability of their findings but rather, what is crucial is the use others make of them-chiefly, that they feed into processes of "naturalistic generalization."
引用
收藏
页码:797 / 812
页数:16
相关论文
共 44 条
[1]  
[Anonymous], 1999, Democracy at the Point of Bayonets
[2]  
[Anonymous], METHODOLOGY EC HOW E
[3]  
[Anonymous], APPL ETHICS READER
[4]  
Bromley D.B., 1986, The case-study method in psychology and related disciplines
[5]  
Campbell D.T., 1963, EXPT QUASIEXPERIMENT
[6]  
Campbell S., 2003, CASE STUDIES PLANNIN
[7]   Uniformity of rational points [J].
Caporaso, L ;
Harris, J ;
Mazur, B .
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY, 1997, 10 (01) :1-35
[8]  
Cronbach L. J., 1983, DESIGNING EVALUATION
[9]   TOWARD A SCIENTIFIC UNDERSTANDING OF INTERNATIONAL CONFLICT - A PERSONAL VIEW [J].
DEMESQUITA, BB .
INTERNATIONAL STUDIES QUARTERLY, 1985, 29 (02) :121-136
[10]  
Eckstein H., 2002, CASE STUDY METHOD KE, P119