Pragmatism As A Research Paradigm In The Social Study Of Children

The purpose of this paper was to examine to what extent social researchers who study children, either quantitatively or qualitatively, can be observant of the philosophical assumptions that underpin the methodological approaches they undertake. Primarily, the philosophical underpinnings of quantitative and qualitative social research, especially as they pertain to the social study of children, were delineated. Then, two systematic literature reviews of peer-reviewed articles that report on empirical studies published in the past year were conducted. One review focused on qualitative studies and the other on quantitative studies. The findings of these reviews suggest that strict adherences to the philosophical underpinnings of quantitative and qualitative social research are nearly impossible. In view of the findings, and in consideration of the unique limitations associated with the social study of children, pragmatism is suggested as an appropriate social research paradigm.