Summary
Contents
Subject index
This book is designed for students of Politics and International Relations at both undergraduate and postgraduate level. It provides explanations of fifty core concepts in political research methods and, uniquely, explains how these methods can be used in International Relations. Where relevant, alternative research concepts and strategies are suggested. Each ‘concept’ will incorporate a simple definition, a focused explanation, an examination of key debates and areas of research, along with cross-references to other related concepts. This format allows students and researchers alike to utilise the text either as a companion to specific modules, or on a ‘dip into’ basis. Key Features: - Provides an overview of the place of each concept in Politics and International Relations under the headings: meaning, origins and current usage. - Concepts are grouped into sections corresponding to the main themes usually covered in teaching. - Relevant concepts in the book are emboldened and linked by listing at the end of each concept - Guidance is provided to further reading on each of the concepts discussed.
Comparative Method
Comparative Method
Comparative research is extremely commonplace in international political research. It is not restricted to the subfield of comparative politics, although, obviously, it is traditionally found there. The comparative method is highly applicable in other fields because it is ‘a broad-gauge, general method, not a narrow, specialized technique’ (Lijphart, 1971: 683). It helps to identify aspects of social and political life that are general across units (that is, institutions, nations, states, regions, cultures), as opposed to being limited to one unit alone. All political researchers want to generalize to some degree. For example, positivist researchers are interested in discovering general laws or patterns of political participation that hold across societies. Hague and Harrop (2007) give four reasons for the need to compare:
- It enables ...
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