Critical paradigm-

a paradigm in social science research focused on power, inequality, and social change

Paradigm-

a way of viewing the world and a framework from which to understand the human experience

Positivism-

a paradigm guided by the principles of objectivity, knowability, and deductive logic

Postmodernism-

a paradigm focused on the historical and contextual embeddedness of scientific knowledge and a skepticism towards certainty and grand explanations in social science

Social constructionism-

a paradigm based on the idea that social context and interaction frame our realities

Theory-

“a systematic set of interrelated statements intended to explain some aspect of social life” (Rubin & Babbie, 2017, p. 615)

Deductive approach-

study what others have done, reads existing theories of whatever phenomenon she is studying, and then tests hypotheses that emerge from those theories

Inductive approach-

start with a set of observations and then move from particular experiences to a more general set of propositions about those experiences

Positivism —

Paradigm Objectivity, knowability, and deductive logic. Society can and should be studied empirically and scientifically.

Social Constructionism —

Paradigm Truth as varying, socially constructed, and ever-changing. Reality is created collectively. Social context and interaction frame our realities.

Critical —

Paradigm Power, inequality, and social change. Social science can never be truly value-free and should be conducted with the express goal of social change in mind.

Postmodernism —

Paradigm Inherent problems with previous paradigms. Truth is always bound within historical and cultural context. There are no universally true explanations.

Systems —

Social Work Theory Interrelations between parts of society; how parts work together. How a lack of employment opportunities might impact rates of substance abuse in an area.

Conflict —

Social Work Theory Who wins and who loses based on the way that society is organized. How the War on Drugs has impacted minority communities.

Symbolic Interactionism —

Social Work Theory How meaning is created and negotiated though interactions. How people’s self-definitions as “addicts” helps or hurts their ability to remain sober

Social Exchange —

Social Work Theory How behavior is influenced by costs and rewards. Whether increased distribution of anti-overdose medications makes overdose more or less likely