Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches to the Study of Poverty: Taming the Tensions and Appreciating the Complementarities
| Autor: | Sulaiman Y. Balarabe Kura |
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| Rok vydání: | 2015 |
| Předmět: | |
| Zdroj: | The Qualitative Report. |
| ISSN: | 2160-3715 1052-0147 |
| Popis: | There is a germane relationship between qualitative and quantitative approaches to social science research. The relationship is empirically and theoretically demonstrated by poverty researchers. The study of poverty, as argued in this article, is a study of both numbers and contextualities. This article provides a general overview of qualitative and quantitative approaches to poverty studies and argues that only a combination of the two approaches, where necessary, would provide a robust, rich and reliable data for researching issues of poverty. Hence, the contemporary drive towards a mixed methods approach in poverty research is not only welcomed but certainly timely as well. Thus, understanding ontological and epistemological paradigms about social sciences is imperative in dousing such tensions. Key Words: Qualitative Research, Quantitative Research, Mixed Method Approach, Philosophical Assumptions. Historically, poverty has always been an issue continuously attracting attention of citizens and governments. Today, its question has even been an issue of international concern to both developed and developing states. This is not to argue that poverty levels among these countries are the same. Of course, huge variations exist. The developed industrial societies are concerned about the increasing gap being created by the contradictions of capitalist political economy, the consequence of which is poverty, frustrations and other attendant repercussions. They are also concerned about global poverty because of its tendency for spillover effects. Increasing poverty level in Third World societies will continue to increase the rate of immigration to developed societies. On the other side of the argument, the developing societies are concerned with poverty because of its destructive effects on the socio-economic and political conscience of the state. That is perhaps why so much effort has been put in addressing the scourge of poverty. These range from seminars, conferences, workshops and introduction courses at universities and research centres at both local and international levels in order to research and study poverty in all its ramifications – causes, patterns, natures, consequences, eradication strategies, policy sustainability, policy formulation, implementation and evaluation and so on. Within these themes and issues, there are also the questions of the indices of poverty. The best way, therefore, to study poverty and address all issues associated with it, as highlighted here, is to research about it totally, effectively, and comprehensively. That “best ways” of studying poverty are a function of one’s philosophical orientation(s) about the origin of knowledge. In any case, studying poverty is an exclusive preserve of social scientists. Divergent views and opinions concerning the philosophical orientations influence why and how individual researchers select/choose research approaches and methodologies. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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