Philosophical Problems with Social Research on Health Inequalities

Authors: Wainwright S.P.¹; Forbes A.²

Source: Health Care Analysis, Volume 8, Number 3, September 2000 , pp. 259-277(19)

Publisher: Springer

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Abstract:

This paper offers a realist critique of social research on health inequalities. A conspectus of the field of health inequalities research identifies two main research approaches: the positivist quantitative survey and the interpretivist qualitative `case study'. We argue that both approaches suffer from serious philosophical limitations. We suggest that a turn to realism offers a productive `third way' both for the development of health inequality research in particular and for the social scientific understanding of the complexities of the social world in general.

Keywords: epistemology; health inequalities; interpretivism; ontology; positivism; realism; social research

Language: English

Document Type: Regular paper

Affiliations: 1: Research in Health & Social Care Section, Florence Nightingale School of Nursing, King's College London, University of London, London, UK (author for correspondence, E-mail: steven.wainwright@kcl.ac.uk) 2: Research in Health & Social Care Section, Florence Nightingale School of Nursing, King's College London, University of London, London, UK

Publication date: 2000-09-01