A brief teaching note on realism and anti-realism: for MBA and Housing Studies students (information from perplexity.ai)
My question 1: "Highlight 6 main ideas on each of the two topics: (1) realism and (2) anti-realism in the context of research philosophy study in social science."
The reply: "Here are the 6 main ideas on each of the two topics in the context of research philosophy study in social science, based on the gathered information:
Realism in Social Science Research Philosophy
Reality exists independently of human perceptions or beliefs; the world has an objective nature that research seeks to uncover.
Critical realism, the more widely accepted form, acknowledges that human senses and social conditions may affect perception, but underlying real mechanisms exist.
Realism supports scientific and systematic inquiry to discover causal mechanisms at different levels (individual, group, organization).
It embraces layered ontology — empirical (observable events), actual (events that occur), and real (causal structures) — as essential for understanding social phenomena.
Research guided by realism aims to explain social phenomena through underlying structures and mechanisms, using methods that fit the complex, multi-level nature of social reality.
Realism maintains that knowledge is historically situated but seeks objective knowledge, minimizing bias while acknowledging the researcher's influence.
Anti-Realism in Social Science Research Philosophy
Anti-realism holds that reality depends on human perception, conceptual schemes or social constructs rather than existing independently.
It questions the existence or knowability of objective truths about social entities, often viewing scientific theories as useful instruments rather than literal truth claims.
Some anti-realists argue that the best social explanations are provisional and likely to be replaced, reflecting skepticism about knowing true social entities.
Different forms of anti-realism include constructivism (social reality constructed through human interaction), fictionalism (treating social entities as useful fictions), and eliminativism (denying existence of certain social entities).
Anti-realism is often associated with a focus on observable phenomena and tends to reject metaphysical commitments to unobservable entities or causal mechanisms.
It embraces the idea that the truth or meaning of social science statements depends on verification, context, or pragmatic usefulness rather than correspondence to an independent reality.
These summaries reflect core distinctions and ongoing debates in the research philosophy of social sciences about how knowledge and reality are conceptualized and approached during research."
My question 2: "Please clarify the topics a bit more with reference to the MBA dissertation research theme of "the relationship between the age of the senior managers and the innovation capability of the banking sector in Hong Kong in 2025"."
The reply: "In the context of an MBA dissertation on "the relationship between the age of senior managers and the innovation capability of the banking sector in Hong Kong in 2025," the research philosophy perspectives of realism and anti-realism can be clarified as follows:
Realism Applied to This Research
Realism assumes there is an objective reality about how senior managers' age affects innovation capability, independent of researchers' beliefs.
The researcher seeks to discover underlying causal mechanisms—such as how experience or generational differences influence innovation—through empirical observation and data analysis.
It acknowledges that while perceptions might vary, there are real patterns and structures in the banking sector that explain innovation capability related to age.
The research may involve both qualitative and quantitative methods to capture different levels of reality: observable trends and deeper causal factors.
Realism encourages explaining the context (Hong Kong banking sector, 2025) as part of uncovering how age influences innovation capability in a complex, multi-layered social system.
The aim is to produce knowledge that, while situated in a specific time and place, aspires to objective validity to inform policy or management practices.
Anti-Realism Applied to This Research
Anti-realism questions the ability to claim an independent "true" relationship between manager age and innovation, seeing findings as dependent on social constructs and interpretations.
It emphasizes how different stakeholders (managers, employees, observers) may interpret innovation capability differently, influenced by their perspectives and contexts.
The research might focus on how the concept of "innovation capability" is socially constructed within the Hong Kong banking sector rather than assuming a fixed, measurable entity.
Methods may lean toward interpretive, qualitative approaches that highlight the role of language, culture, and social processes in shaping understanding of age and innovation.
Anti-realism encourages viewing research findings as provisional, context-dependent, and useful for specific purposes—not as universal, timeless truths.
It foregrounds the role of the researcher's assumptions and the co-construction of knowledge with research participants, acknowledging multiple realities rather than one objective reality.
In sum, a realist approach to the MBA dissertation would seek to identify objective causal links and mechanisms about manager age and innovation capacity, aiming for generalizable insights. In contrast, an anti-realist approach would prioritize understanding the socially constructed meanings and interpretations of these concepts within the specific cultural and organizational context of Hong Kong banking in 2025, treating findings as contextually grounded and flexible. This duality illustrates important philosophical choices shaping research design, methods, and interpretation."
My question 3: "Please clarify the topics a bit more with reference to the Housing Studies dissertation research theme of "the relationship between the amount of negative equity in property and the severity of domestic violence in the local community of Kwun Tong of Hong Kong in 2025"."
The reply: "Applying the research philosophy perspectives of realism and anti-realism to a Housing Studies dissertation on "the relationship between the amount of negative equity in property and the severity of domestic violence in the local community of Kwun Tong, Hong Kong in 2025" can be clarified as follows:
Realism in This Housing Studies Research
Realism posits that there is an objective reality regarding how negative equity in property may influence domestic violence severity in Kwun Tong, independent of observer perspectives.
The researcher aims to identify causal mechanisms linking financial stress from negative equity to increased domestic violence through empirical data (e.g., financial records, police or social services reports).
Realist inquiry may account for layered realities, such as economic conditions, household dynamics, and community factors, which interact to impact domestic violence severity.
It supports a mixed-methods approach to capture both quantitative data on negative equity and qualitative insights into family experiences and stressors.
Realism acknowledges the role of socio-economic and cultural contexts of Kwun Tong as real influences shaping the observed relationship.
The goal is to produce actionable knowledge that can objectively inform housing policies, social support interventions, and community programs aiming to reduce domestic violence and financial hardship.
Anti-Realism in This Housing Studies Research
Anti-realism questions whether the link between negative equity and domestic violence severity can be known as an objective fact, emphasizing that meanings are socially constructed.
It draws attention to how community members, victims, and service providers may understand and narrate the relationship differently based on their experiences and social contexts.
The concept of “negative equity” and “domestic violence severity” may be seen as fluid, interpreted differently across individuals and groups in Kwun Tong.
The research may focus on the discourses and perceptions around financial hardship and domestic violence, highlighting the role of language and social norms in shaping these issues.
Anti-realism would encourage a reflexive, interpretivist methodology that acknowledges the researcher's influence and the co-construction of knowledge with participants.
Findings are viewed as context-specific, provisional understandings aimed at fostering dialogue and local action rather than universal causal explanations.
In summary, a realist approach in this dissertation would seek to uncover objective economic and social mechanisms linking property negative equity and domestic violence severity to inform broad interventions. An anti-realist approach would instead explore socially constructed interpretations and meanings of these phenomena within the Kwun Tong community context, focusing on narrative and relational understandings to inform locally relevant responses. This distinction guides how research questions are framed, data are collected, and findings are interpreted."
A collection of blog notes on using chatgpt for research purpose.
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