Conflating actor-level focus with quantitative approaches
Hi Mike
The intangible concepts you mention are of course important, but if we want to influence or measure these things we'd better understand how they translate to the actor level.
I'm interested in reducing abstract systems phenomena to concepts that we can readily understand when we come across them in the systems we work in. This focus on tangible concepts supports all empirical work, not quants specifically. Indeed, qualitative evaluation methods are typically the more reliant on strong theory. Strong theory needs a detailed understanding of the mechanisms by which change happens. And that is more attainable with clear representation of the component parts of systems and how they interact.
Afraid I don't see any connection at all between reductionism and a quants bias. Could you explain it in any more detail?
March 5, 2020, 12:36 p.m.
Jake Lomax
Conflating actor-level focus with quantitative approaches
Hi Mike The intangible concepts you mention are of course important, but if we want to influence or measure these things we'd better understand how they translate to the actor level. I'm interested in reducing abstract systems phenomena to concepts that we can readily understand when we come across them in the systems we work in. This focus on tangible concepts supports all empirical work, not quants specifically. Indeed, qualitative evaluation methods are typically the more reliant on strong theory. Strong theory needs a detailed understanding of the mechanisms by which change happens. And that is more attainable with clear representation of the component parts of systems and how they interact. Afraid I don't see any connection at all between reductionism and a quants bias. Could you explain it in any more detail?