Abstract
This article begins with the assumption that the research and study of geographical, historical, socio-economic and cultural factors of a local community are prerequisites for intervention or developmental policies. Based on the views of Descartes and Hamann, it then goes on to look at the suitability of the methods, tools and techniques a researcher needs to use today in order to get a complete picture. A positive approach of social phenomena claims that social structures decisively affect an individual’s thought and action, and therefore focuses on the study of external factors. In contrast, an interpretative approach aims at understanding the meanings and motives that govern an individual’s life and behavior. The author concludes that research on both macro and micro levels are necessary for the understanding of social phenomena in a local society and the use of methodological pluralism (both quantitative and qualitative methods) is necessary for effective research as it takes into consideration the weight of history and allows the understanding of those factors which govern people’s lives and determine their behavior and interaction.
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Lydaki, A. Geometry or poetry? Issues of methods and techniques in regional research. Qual Quant 46, 291–301 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11135-010-9352-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11135-010-9352-6