Inclui bibliografia

Introduction - Gerry Stoker -The discipline of political science: a celebration of diversity -What is politics? What is that political scientists study? -What is a scientific approach to politics -Is there a standard method for undertaking political science? 1. A skin not a sweater: ontology and epistemology in political science - David Marsh -Ontology and epistemology -Different approaches to ontology and epistemology -Ontology and epistemology in political science: two cases Part I - Approaches 2 - Behavouralism - David Sanders -The rise of the behavioural movement and its core characteristics -Criticisms of the behavioural approach -The strengths of the behavioural approach: an example -Conclusion: the behavioural legacy in the twenty-first century 3. Rational choice - Hugh Ward -The development of rational choice theory -The key commitments and assumptions of the mainstream variant -Criticisms of rational choice theory -Developments: where is rational choice going? 4. Institutionalism - Vivien Lowndes -Introduction -The "traditional" institutional approach -The rise of the "new institutionalism" -What's new about new institutionalism? The core features of the approach -New institutionalist dillemas 5. Feminism - Vicky Randall -Debates within feminism -Feminism and political science -Critical responses to feminist political science -Conclusion: the way forward 6. Interpretive theory - Mark Bevir -The importance of interpretation -Varieties of interpretation -An anti-foundational approach to interpretation -Criticisms of interpretive theory 7. Marxism - David Marsh -The development of Marxism -What has Marxism to offer? 8. Normative theory - Steve Buckler -Logical positivism and the death of political philosophy -Interpretive theory -Critical theory and dialectics -Deontological theory and value pluralism Part II - Methods 9. Qualitative methods - Fiona Devine -The role of qualitative methods in political science -The epistemological underpinnings of qualitative methods -Criticisms of qualitative research -Illustration of qualitative research 10. Quantitative methods - Peter John -The collection and management of data -The power of description -Tables and inferential statistics -Multivariate analysis -Beyond ordinary least squares 11. Combining qualitative and quantitative methods - Melvyn Read -Quantitative and qualitative methods: a false dichotomy? -Combining research methods -Problems of combination -Two cases studies 12. Comparative methods - Jonathan Hopkin -Introduction -Theory and the comparative method -Basic forms of comparative explanation -Large Ns: quantitative comparative strategies -Limitations of the quantitative comparative approach -Small Ns: qualitative comparative strategies -Quantity or quality? Quantitative versus qualitative comparative research -Conclusion: challenges to the comparative method Part III - Issues 13. Structure and agency - Stuart McAnulla -Introduction: structure and agency - a problem for all? ^-Structure and agency: what's really in it for us? -The postmodern onslaught -The morphogenetic approach 14. Institutions and ideas - Mark Blyth -Introduction -Don't worry about the philosophy... -Why institutions? Producing a "conventional" wisdom in political science -Changing the conventional wisdom: reinventing institutions -Historical and rational institutionalism -Explaining change and stability: the turn to ideas -Rationalism and ideas -Historical institutionalism and ideas -Conclusion: rival ontologies and progress in political science Conclusion - David Marsh -The importance of ontological and epistemological issues -The growth of diversity in the formal study of politics -Beware gatekeeping -A plea for dialogue