Realism and Complexity in Social Science is an argument for a new approach to investigating the social world, that of complex realism. Complex realism brings together a number of strands of thought, in scientific realism, complexity science, probability theory and social research methodology.
Malcolm Williams is Professor and Co-Director of the Q-Step Centre, at Cardiff University.
1. Introduction: Knowing the Social World: Challenges and Possibilities
2. Realism and Its Discontents
3. Complexity, Probability and Necessity in the Social World
4. Causes and Complexity
5. Representation and Reality
6. Theory Choice - Verification, Falsification and Inference
7. Objective Knowledge
8. Mechanisms
9. A Methodological Toolkit: From Micro Complexity to Macro Explanation.
10. A Manifesto for Complex Realism