EVALUATION OF THE SCIENTIFIC PHILOSOPHY OF SOCIAL IDENTITY APPROACH FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF POSITIVISM, SOCIAL CONSTRUCTIONISM AND CRITICAL REALISM

Abstract

This study discusses the scientific philosophy (i.e. the ontological and epistemological outlook) of the social identity approach. Social psychology was dominated by positivism for a longtime. In 1970’s during “the period of crisis” in the discipline, main objective of social psychology, its assumptions and methods were questioned. Owing to these debates, the social constructivist approach that epistemologically and ontologically differentiated itself from the positivistic approach. Concurrently, along with Tajfel’s Social Identity Theory and later Turner’s Self Categorization Theory (1987), groups and group processes came to occupy a place in social psychology that represent an alternative to the dominant positivist approach’s individualistic analysis level. In this study the concepts of ontology and epistemology are introduced, then the respective ontological and epistemological approaches of positivistic, social constructionist and critical realistic science philosophies. The basic premises of the social identity approach are discussed in terms of the ontological and epistemological stands of positivism, social constructionism and critical realism currents. 

Keywords

• Social identity approach,critical realism,social constructivism,positivism

SOSYAL KİMLİK YAKLAŞIMININ BİLİM FELSEFESİNİN POZİTİVİZM, SOSYAL İNŞACILIK VE ELEŞTİREL GERÇEKÇİLİK AÇISINDAN DEĞERLENDİRİLMESİ

Öz

Bu çalışmada, 1970’lerden itibaren grup süreçlerini ve sosyal kimlikleri açıklamaya yönelen, o tarihten bu yana gruplar arası çatışmalardan önyargıya, kolektif eylemlerden liderliğe, oldukça geniş bir yelpazede yer alan sosyal psikolojik kavram ve olgu üzerine çok sayıda çalışmaya temel olan Sosyal Kimlik Kuramı’nın (Tajfel, 1978; Tajfel ve Turner, 1979; Turner ve ark., 1987)  bilim felsefesi (ontolojik-epistemolojik yaklaşımı) tartışılmaktadır. Bu doğrultuda, çalışmanın ilk bölümünde ontoloji ve epistemoloji kavramları tanımlanmakta; ikinci bölümde pozitivist, sosyal inşacı ve eleştirel gerçekçi bilim felsefelerinin ontolojik ve epistemolojik yaklaşımları sunulmakta; üçüncü bölümde Sosyal Kimlik Kuramı’nın temel varsayımları pozitivizm, sosyal inşacılık ve eleştirel gerçekçilik akımlarının ontolojik ve epistemolojik yaklaşımları çerçevesinde değerlendirilmektedir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• sosyal kimlik yaklaşımı,eleştirel gerçekçilik,sosyal inşacılık,pozitivizm

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