Suchergebnisse

Why study international relations? Is it simply because, like Everest, they are there? Or is it in order more effectively to empathize with international statesmen? Or is it to seek such a measure of understanding of structures and processes that interventions to change them in desirable ways may have increasing probabilities of success? Garnett most neatly attaches himself to the first of these positions. The contributors to the scholarly Bull and Watson volume (or more exactly, most of the contributors) seem to hold the second view. Kubalkova and Cruickshank, Strange, and Banks have the third objective in mind, although in very different ways, and with varying degrees of explicitness. The choice of objective made by a scholar is determined not merely by his interests and the intellectual and analytical skills of which he has made himself master, but also by his epistemological assumptions. Thus Garnett and Bull would assert that, in contrast with the 'exact' sciences, it is erroneous to suppose that scientific methods can be employed in the study of social questions, and that any attempt so to do and thereby to arrive at advice about action must be mistaken—and dangerous to the extent that it creates expectations about results that are as likely to be falsified as to be confirmed.

A number of authors have identified Chomsky's work as belonging within the critical realist tradition (Wilkin 1997; Edgley 2000; Laffey 2003). In chapter five, Alison Edgley explores some of the epistemological assumptions of critical realism, in order to highlight his distinctive and nuanced approach to social scientific study and examine the ways in which Chomsky could be said to be operationalizing this approach. She identifies three methods typically employed by Chomsky that, when employed rigorously, enable the alert social scientist to the possibility and nature of contradictions between policy rhetoric and policy outcomes. Chomsky, as is typical of a critical realist in action, seeks to identify both necessity and possibility or potential in the world by asking what things must go together, and what could happen, given the nature of those objects. His writings show how critical realist analysis can successfully be deployed across the publications, pronouncements and actions of policy-makers, academics, civil servants, journalists and opinion-formers to produce an exemplar of robust and revealing foreign policy analysis, For these reasons, it can be argued that critical realism provides a compelling philosophical underpinning for doing social science research in general, and for Chomsky's research on American foreign policy in particular.

Through case studies, theoretical research and interviews with leading players in science and governance, this book introduces a new understanding of change in governance of bioscience research. In particular it examines change as it is shaped by approaches developed by Science and Technology Studies and Sociology of Scientific Knowledge theorists.

Employee participation in IT projects is considered to be a critical IT adoption factor in the public sector. However, research into the impact of participation on government employee adoption of IT is very limited. Therefore, this study investigates the role of participation in government employee adoption of IT. A qualitative research study was carried out and project managers were interviewed. Additionally, employees who participated in the introduction of the e-file in Germany were also interviewed. The findings reveal that information and communication, training and support, and active participation in project groups, the formal participation of the staff council and the exchange of experiences between governmental agencies all have a potential positive impact on government employee adoption of IT. However, managers have key positions in this context. Furthermore, barriers to participation, such as the lack of resources as well as a lack of willingness and qualifications, are also discussed.