A paradigm is an example or pattern: small, self-contained, simplified models that we use to illustrate procedures, processes, and theoretical points.
As the term is used in social science, a paradigm is a perspective or frame of reference for viewing the social world, breaking down the complexity of the real world, consisting of a set of concepts and assumptions.
In sum, a paradigm is a mental window through which the researcher views the world.
Two researchers describing the same phenomenon from two different paradigms may produce considerably different accounts of the same phenomenon.
For example, both Malthus and Marx looked at the overpopulation problem. Each was from two different paradigms but the same overpopulation phenomenon.
The Marxist position was that overpopulation would disappear with a transition from capitalism to socialism, while Malthus opposed this proposition.
He believed that welfare and socialism would destroy the individual’s initiative.
Thus these two schools of thought, Malthusian and Marxist, tend to look at the same phenomenon (overpopulation) from significantly different paradigms or perspectives and arrive at conflicting conclusions.
Each paradigm has its own set of concepts or jargon. The Malthusian paradigm uses such concepts as arithmetic rate, geometric rate, positive check, preventive check, vice, and misery in his discussion of overpopulation-related issues.
The Marxist paradigm uses such concepts as a class, class consciousness, means of production, surplus labor, exploitation, and debate.
Paradigm differs not only in concepts and assumptions but also in the research problems it considers essential.
For example, in the Malthusian paradigm, overpopulation is the central problem.
In contrast, in the Marxist paradigm, the central problem is the class struggle and the exploitation of the lower classes by those who control the means of production.
Both Democrats and Republicans have a common goal of establishing peoples’ rights, yet they have different approaches, strategies, and concepts, vis-a-vis the paradigms, to realize the same.
Patton (1990) defines paradigm as a world view, a general perspective, and a way of breaking down the complexity of the real world, while Guba (1990) views this as an interpretive framework, which is guided by ‘a set of beliefs and feelings about the world and how it should be understood and studied.
In a research context, a (research) paradigm is an underlying assumption and the intellectual structure upon which research and development in a field of inquiry are based.
Denzin and Lincoln (1994) state that the underlying beliefs that define a particular research paradigm may be summarized by the responses given to three fundamental questions:
- Ontological question: What is the form and nature of reality?
- Epistemological question: What is the fundamental belief about knowledge (i.e., what can be known)? Epistemology is the branch of philosophy that studies the nature of knowledge and the process by which knowledge is acquired and validated.
- Methodological question: How do we know or gain knowledge of the world?
Dill and Romiszowski (1997) stated some functions of paradigms. According to them, research paradigms.
- Define how the world works, how knowledge is extracted from this world, and how one is to think, write, and talk about this knowledge.
- Define the types of questions to be asked and the methodologies to be used in answering.
- Decide what is published and what is not published.
- Structure the work of the academic worker, and
- Provide its meaning and its significance.
How is a paradigm defined in the context of social science?
In social science, a paradigm is a perspective or frame of reference used to view the social world. It simplifies models to illustrate procedures, processes, and theoretical points, breaking down the complexity of the real world and consisting of a set of concepts and assumptions.
How can two researchers describe the same phenomenon differently based on their paradigms?
Two researchers can produce considerably different accounts of the same phenomenon if they are describing it from two distinct paradigms. For instance, Malthus and Marx both examined the overpopulation problem from different paradigms, leading to conflicting conclusions.
What is the significance of the term “research paradigm” in a research context?
In a research context, a research paradigm is an underlying assumption and the intellectual structure upon which research and development in a field of inquiry are based.
What are the three fundamental questions that define the underlying beliefs of a research paradigm?
The three fundamental questions are;
- Ontological question: What is the form and nature of reality?
- Epistemological question: What is the fundamental belief about knowledge and what can be known?
- Methodological question: How do we gain knowledge of the world?
How do paradigms influence academic work and publications?
Paradigms define how the world works, how knowledge is extracted, and how one should think, write, and talk about this knowledge. They determine the types of questions to be asked, the methodologies to be used, what gets published, structure the work of the academic worker, and provide meaning and significance to the work.
How do Malthusian and Marxist paradigms differ in their approach to the overpopulation problem?
The Malthusian paradigm views overpopulation as the central problem and uses concepts like arithmetic rate, geometric rate, and positive check. In contrast, the Marxist paradigm focuses on the class struggle and exploitation of the lower classes, using concepts like class consciousness and means of production.