Unlocking Society's Complexities: Research & Constructivism Paradigms - Essay Sample

Research is essential in discovering and understanding the workings of phenomena in society. Society is comprised of various beliefs, cultures, traditions, socio-economic factors, and other relating factors that result in the wholesome of an individual. Two fundamental paradigms determine the nature of the research design to be implemented by the researcher. The constructivism paradigm entails the construction of real phenomena through the interactions of people (Antwi & Hamza, 2015). It supports the fact that people create meaning and substantial cognitive value of things via interactions with other people and also other components within the environment.

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In contrast, the positivism paradigm encompasses the exploration of the reality within society through observation and reasoning. This entails using cognitive ability and observation skills to help in determining the character or behaviour of a person. The positivism concept implements a quantitative research design while the constructive idea implements the qualitative research design (Antwi & Hamza, 2015). Positivism Has been built on philosophical backgrounds and is majorly geared towards a strong focus towards ensuring that there is an establishment of factual information. The paradigm encompasses the utilization of observation and also undertaking measurements to help in establishing the findings of the research study.

The research design significantly aligned with the positivism concept is quantitative. Quantitative research designs focus on gathering quantifiable data which is further analyzed through the use of statistical methods in ensuring the level viability and the level of validity of the data collected is viable in regards to the research questions or problem statement being undertaken by the research study (Antwi & Hamza, 2015). Different researches and studies require unique frameworks to help in ensuring practical interpretation and analysis to provide the most appropriate course of action. This paper shall highlight the relevance of the positivism paradigm in the undertaking of researches.

Positivism paradigm is crucial in the research world due to the high level of precision that is encompassed throughout its entire process. Social sciences are characterized by human behaviours and all the components within the environment of a person. The positivist approach employs the quantitative research design which is majorly based on the collection of numerical data and figures which are collected and analyzed to carry out different forms of testing to help in deriving findings and the implications of the findings and results of the study to the real-world situations. For novice researchers, the positivist approach is phenomenal and guarantees high levels of reliability and validity of the findings from the research study.

The quantitative research studies are geared towards establishing objectives of the researches and surveys, and these lead to the development of research questions or goals. This philosophical approach entails a high level of observation. Active research involves the keenness of sight and other sense of the body to help in understanding the real phenomena and situations that are under study (Hammersley, 2019). The positivist approach is built on the philosophy concept and through the use of sense to determine the causal relationships and the activities surrounding the research. For a novice researcher, it is crucial that one to have a strong orientation of logic and the use of clearly visible and measurable facts which shall help in collecting the results of the research. Therefore, through positivism, there shall be a steady development of the observations skills and the measuring skills of the researcher through a useful derivation of the objectives of the research (Hammersley, 2019). A sense of target provides direction for the scientist or researchers to have clear deliverables to meet the set goals and objectives. Therefore, the positivist concept shall guide the research to learn the key objectives of the investigation. Hence, this shall result in developing the critical questions of variables for the study. The researcher also becomes neutral from the research study, therefore eliminating any form of biasness in carrying out the survey (Antwi & Hamza, 2015).

Another primary reason that the positivist approach is essential for researchers is its logical judgment. Many researchers usually have assumptions in their study, which generally creates doubt in the authenticity and feasibility of their findings in real-world situations. However, through quantitative research design and positivism, the researchers’ judgment is based on logic and thoroughly made observations and measurements (Hammersley, 2019). For researchers undertaking crucial researches such as healthcare or commerce-oriented, the positivist paradigm provides quantifiable results and measures which can help the researchers to deduce the appropriate course of action. Therefore, the study offers tangible results which can be effectively interpreted and implemented in a real-life situation. Consequently, the findings and conclusions of studies carried out under the paradigm have a strong reflection of the real-world conditions (Hammersley, 2019).

Some research field is crucial, and their findings have very significant implications for the relevant industries. The positivist approach is philosophical and has strong relevance to social science (Antwi & Hamza, 2015). This paradigm is essential in the event of an urgent study or an in-depth research study that requires a high level of accuracy and validity of the information collected. The positivism approach implies the use of durable logic in interpretation and analysis of the results derived (Antwi & Hamza, 2015). Since the paradigm encompasses observation and reasoning as the critical components in comprehending the behaviour of humans and various phenomena, there shall be a strong causal relationship established between multiple variables to the underlying issue under study. Hence, this helps in proving numerous recommendations on resolving issues or tacking problems. Another significant feature that needs the use of the positivist approach is research and studies in the dynamic industries and sectors within the market (Antwi & Hamza, 2015).

Market sectors such as health and business are dynamic in n nature, and there is need to have a forecast on what the future holds and determine the appropriate actions to help the firms and health professionals in solving emerging issues (Antwi & Hamza, 2015). Through the enhancement of past researches and conducting well-nurtured, observed and monitors studies and experiments. For example, the health sector, the emergence of deadly respiratory diseases such as the Covid-19 virus has caused an uproar throughout the world (Offeddu, Yung, Low & Tam, 2016). Since no cure has been discovered and the governments in conjunction with the World Health Organization(WHO) have advocated the use of masks or respirators. How effective are these non-medical interventions (Offeddu, Yung, Low & Tam, 2016)? Through the use of the positivism approach, the researcher shall be able to carry out a quantitative research design in monitoring and testing the health professionals and how useful the gadgets are. The health professionals shall be examined and test results collected daily (Offeddu, Yung, Low & Tam, 2016). Hence, the test results shall be based on logic and observations made during the study.

Each research is unique in its form; however, the positivism approach is essential due to its accuracy and logic judgment which provides no room for assumptions with the study. The findings and results derived from positivism paradigm studies are compelling and provide the predictive feature to help in forecasting futuristic phenomena hence making the study feasible. Adoption of the positivist concept in research shall ensure strong validity and applications of the results from the study

References

Antwi, S., & Hamza, K. (2015). Qualitative and Quantitative Research Paradigms in Business Research: A Philosophical Reflection. Qualitative Research Journal, 7(2222-1905), 217-225. doi: 10.1108/qrj-d-17-00042

Hammersley, M. (2019). From Positivism to Post-Positivism: Progress or Digression? Teoria Polityki, 3, 175-188. doi: 10.4467/25440845tp.19.009.10292

Offeddu, V., Yung, C., Low, M., & Tam, C. (2016). Effectiveness of masks and respirators against respiratory infections in healthcare workers: A systematic review and meta-analysis. International Journal of Infectious Diseases, 53, 27. doi: 10.1016/j.ijid.2016.11.074