Philosophical problems with social research on health inequalities

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Abstract

This paper offers a realist critique of social research on health inequalities. A conspectus of the field of health inequalities research identifies two main research approaches: the positivist quantitative survey and the interpretivist qualitative 'case study'. We argue that both approaches suffer from serious philosophical limitations. We suggest that a turn to realism offers a productive 'third way' both for the development of health inequality research in particular and for the social scientific understanding of the complexities of the social world in general.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)259 - 277
Number of pages19
JournalHealth Care Analysis
Volume8
Issue number3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2000

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