Ramesesians
I can't do much better than Tom and Trish's efforts on the critical in critical realism. I'm not sure quite that they cover the positive aspect that floats my boat - that is exposing fallible, developing theories to collective scrutiny. A more mundane reason for my avoidance of the term critical realism is the association with Bhaskar and the tedious, turgid torture of trying to follow his turns from the scientific to the normative to the religious.
RAY


-----Original Message-----
From: Realist and Meta-narrative Evidence Synthesis: Evolving Standards [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Trisha Greenhalgh
Sent: 31 August 2011 06:43
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Critical realism

Let me have a go. All critical realism is realist (unless it's misguided).
But not all realism is critical realism.  There are two ways of using the
word 'critical' in research: one means "thinking carefully about what you're
doing" (which all researchers should do of course!) and a more specific use
of the term as "looking critically at the macro social structures which
produce domination/oppression whether we are aware of them or not".  It is
this latter meaning which is connoted in critical realism.  To some extent
all realist research is going to have to consider the influence of such
structures (class, gender, race etc) but when these become the central focus
of the research, that's what I'd call critical realism.  

Ray, would this answer pass in your course? 
  

Trisha Greenhalgh
Professor of Primary Health Care and Director, Healthcare Innovation and
Policy Unit
Centre for Primary Care and Public Health
Blizard Institute
Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry
Yvonne Carter Building
58 Turner Street
London E1 2AB
t : 020 7882 7325 (PA) or 7326 (dir line)
f : 020 7882 2552
e: [log in to unmask] 


http://www.icms.qmul.ac.uk/chs/staff/trishagreenhalgh.html

-----Original Message-----
From: Realist and Meta-narrative Evidence Synthesis: Evolving Standards
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Tracey McConnell
Sent: 29 August 2011 21:50
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Critical realism

I have read a few realistic evaluations which claim the approach is based on
a critical realist philosophy.  However, Pawson (2006) states that although
realist review is realist in using the principles of early realist
philosophy, the approach drops the 'critical' adjective.  Could anyone
clarify the confusion?

Tracey


Tracey McConnell
PhD Student

School of Nursing and Midwifery
Queen's University Belfast
Medical Biology Centre
97 Lisburn Road
Belfast BT9 7BL
Tel 028 90972684