What is the best approach to historical research, a search for general causal laws, an ideographic description of unique events, or some combination of those approaches? s part of a 3-year grant, I’m working with several senior scholars to teach critical realism and explore its implications for sociological research. Join us tomorrow, December 9th, 2015 from 2:30-4 pm with Professor George Steinmetz (University of Michigan at Ann Arbor) who will talk about Critical Realism, Sociology and History. In this webinar, Professor Steinmetz will address the implications of critical realism for the work of historians and historical social scientists.

The webinar is free, but you do need to register so we can send you the readings before the seminar. Even if you can’t be there tomorrow, please register anyway so you can get a link to the recording after the webinar. To learn more about Critical Realism, including our blogs, reading lists, and other webinars, visit the Critical Realism Network homepage. Be sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Here’s more information about the webinar.

Critical Realism, Sociology, and History

Presenter: George Steinmetz, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor

Moderator: Philip Gorski, Yale University

Date: Dec. 9, 2015, 2:30 – 4 pm EST (US)

Meeting Registration: Here

Meeting Description: 35 minute lecture followed by Q and A

What is the best approach to historical research, a search for general causal laws, an ideographic description of unique events, or some combination of those approaches? How did scholars such as Rickert, Weber, and Dilthey view comparative work in the social sciences and history? How have historians and humanities scholars understood comparison? What are the particular challenges to social science theory and comparison from poststructuralism and postcolonial theory? On the one hand, many historians and humanities scholars argue that the singularity and incommensurability of their cases places them outside scientific methods. On the other hand, many social scientists believe that the only substitute for statistical and experimental methods in the social sciences is “The Comparative Method” – comparing cases in order to identify a general model or “General Theory,” a constant conjunction of events. This approach is rebarbative to most practicing historians and humanities scholars.

In this webinar, Professor Steinmetz will address the implications of critical realism for the work of historians and historical social scientists. Critical realism defends the scientific value of historical and hermeneutic case studies. Critical realism provides compelling arguments against objections from both the “Comparative Method”/“General Theory” camp and the super-historicist/incommensurablist camp. Especially important features of critical realism are its emphasis on ontological stratification, open systems, and causal powers. Causal powers in the social sciences are understood as varying across history, geography, and culture. Critical realism helps us see how we can explain unique cases and compare multiple cases, not to discover universal laws but to identify causal powers that produce contingent outcomes and to refine our understanding of causal powers.

Recommended Reading(s):

George Steinmetz. “Comparative History and its Critics: A Genealogy and a Possible Solution.” In A Companion to Global Historical Thought, edited by Prasenjit Duara, Viren Murthy and Andrew Sartori. Blackwell (2014), pp. 412-436.

George Steinmetz. “Odious Comparisons: Incommensurability, the Case Study, and “Small N’s in Sociology.” Sociological Theory, Vol. 22, number 3 (2003), pp. 371-400.

George Steinmetz. “Critical Realism and Historical Sociology. A Review Article.” Comparative Studies in Society and History, Vol. 40, No.1 (Jan., 1998), 170-186.

(readings will be distributed to those registered closer to the date of the webinar)

For more great resources on critical realism, be sure to visit the Critical Realism Network homepage and sign up for our newsletter!