Doing Good Social Science takes readers on a personal and thought-provoking journey and empowers readers to become unshakeable, free-thinking scholars.
Drawing from nearly two decades of experience in research and mentorship, this book shares insights gained from creating ‘immersive moments’ to challenge conventional methodology and social theory. In doing so, it integrates ideas from classical and contemporary scholarship across various disciplines, bringing them to life through engaging field notes, interviews, and often humorous examples. The book outlines how to cultivate disciplined and systematic scholarship on complex topics while critiquing the ‘wonky’ practices that often pervade modern academia. Part One advocates for a more scientific approach to social science, offering guiding principles for scholars striving to understand social life. Part Two deepens and complicates these arguments by examining the philosophical foundations of social science, focusing specifically on the ‘in-between’ aspects of the human condition and our social nature. The writing and thinking in the book are distinctive, passionate and brave.
This book is a compelling read for advanced students, early career researchers, and any academic seeking to develop a more liberated, inventive approach to methods.
Table of Contents:
Part One Foreword to Part One Joseph Maguire Preface 1. Introduction to Part One 2. What does it Mean to be ‘Immersed’ in Research? 3. Knowing Stuff: Lessons from doing Research with the Body 4. Some Problems: Thinking Critically about Social Science and Introducing Standpoint Epistemologies 5. Making our Social Science More Scientific: Stop Saying it’s Messy! 6. Zombies, Zealots, Ideas and Theory: Developing an Analysis 7. Making our Social Science More Scientific: Data, Ideas and Evidence 8. Rethinking Theory: Basic Assumptions, Sensitising Concepts and Academic Tools 9. A Conclusion: Analysing Complex Problems and Writing about Them 10. Part One Postscript: Brain Damage in the Field – Messed up, but Still Not Messy with Reem AlHashmi; Part Two Foreword to Part Two Kath Woodward Preface 11. Introduction to Part Two 12. Philosophy (Not) by Stealth, Understanding and Some (More) Problems with Theory 13. Thinking about Thinking 14. Moving Past Either/or Grammar of Thought 15. Grasping the In-between: Thinking in Another Way 16. Thinking In between Emotion and Rationality 17. Thinking in-between: Consciousness, Memory, Thought 18. Thinking in-between: The Self as a Bio-social Accomplishment 19. Tracing Tears in Rain: Feeling, Tuning In, Catching a Vibe and Dwelling 20. A Conclusion: Social Science that Matters 21. Epilogue: On the Problem with Nerds, the Over-focus on Funding and Some Other Thoughts
About the Author :
Christopher R. Matthews is a social scientist and epistemologist who specialises in the use of immersive research to understand ideas, people and society. He is a senior lecturer at Nottingham Trent University, UK.
Review :
"I have a unique and very personal relationship with this book. It’s very dear to me. I often refer to it as a time capsule of my academic apprenticeship with Chris. These pages capture moments that take me back to countless chats, conversations, and academic dwellings I’ve had with him. It's written in his voice, and how he thinks and speaks but in dialogue with others. He takes you through his own intellectual journey of doing good social science and encourages you to do the same and more. It’s written and designed in a way that ensures a relentless and sustained exploration of how we go about developing our understanding of social life. I’ve (re)read versions of this book for the past six years and I still find myself learning anew from it. This book also says things about stuff that other academics are too afraid to say – which is something of a trademark across all Chris’ work. It's honest, daring and witty but very positive and hopeful. If you’re a postgraduate student or early career researcher or just a person who is curious about understanding the social world, then trust me, this one is for you!" -- Dr Reem AlHashmi, Zayed Military University, UAE
"Taking on zealots and zombies, this book provides a thought-provoking and deeply personal invitation to learn from (and agree or disagree with, be insulted or amused by) Chris' reflections on what meaningful social science can be. You can't help but be challenged (in a good way) to think about who you are as a social scientist, and what it means to do research that matters. The book makes the case for more coherent and conscious approaches to scholarship and provides both encouragement to, and help for, attending to the 'in-between' feature of social life. It's a key text for those wrestling with the boundaries of our understanding, training, disciplinary, or institutional contexts. You may not agree with all the arguments, but you can be damn sure they will make you think." -- Professor Emily J. Oliver, Newcastle Universit, UK
"This latest work by Chris presents us with a clear-headed glimpse of some of the hard choices we have before us when doing ‘good’ social science. The focus of this text is not simply the methodological or the theoretical but rather about developing a more nuanced understanding of our own ability to understand the people and topics we study. What is particularly appealing is that Chris calls upon those of us who are involved in research to be more actively engaged in questioning the expectations and commonly held beliefs that guide the practice of our inquiry. This text is accessible, provocative, and is a kind of compendium of advice, stories, warnings, and deep insight into what makes good social science and good social scientists. The book is a luscious invitation to think deeply and differently. Grab a coffee or a pint and settle in." -- Professor Cathy van Ingen, Brock University, Canada
"Chris invites readers, especially those early in their career, to share his journey to developing a scientific understanding of social life. It is a walk with a plain-speaking friend who cuts through the pretensions of much theory and methodology to the core issues of practice and how best to make a difference in the world." -- Emeritus Professor Robert Dingwall, Nottingham Trent University, UK
"This book inspired me to develop more ‘intimate familiarity’ with participants, data, and theory. Chris encourages us to push back against distant and detached inquiry and the increasing pressures to move stories from the field to press as fast as possible. Not by slowing down, but by asking the reader to go another round. And by dwelling in the field and with theory. It also pushes readers to go another round with ‘pet theories’ – Chris’ term for theoretical determinism, when data is squeezed to fit theory. This means challenging the explanations we hold to be true instead of defending them at all costs. The ideas, arguments and examples presented in this book stay with me in the field." -- Niels B. Feddersen, PhD, Norwegian School of Sport Science, Norway
"I always recommend that people engage with Chris and his work and this is no different with his new book. His approach to communicating science has a knack for prompting the sort of 'feeling' and 'dwelling' he encourages as foundational to the development of good scholarship. He works and writes in an unpretentious and irreverent style which enables him to deploy some of the “philosophy by stealth” that underpin so much of the support and advice he offers to developing academics (though this is less stealthy now everyone knows what he’s doing). You'll learn about 'the classics', read powerful data extracts, get clear examples and even find out about how amazing his dog is. Whether you come away from Chris’ work resoundingly agreeing with his sentiments or vehemently opposed, you’ll be richer for having looked back in on yourself and the ideas you hold." -- Dr James Steele, Director at Steele Research Limited
"In an academic world where reflexivity is the order of the day, and yet approached so trivially in much written work, Chris offers a penetrating dive into a series of honest, important, and disciplinary defining questions about how social scientists actually think (or not) about the choices we make in the processes of inquiry. Chris advocates for and offers the sort of personal, open, and meaningful reflections on the backstage regions of academic work in the spirt and tradition of early to mid-twentieth century pioneers in (especially) social scientific work; indeed, reminiscent of those who inspired me to pursue a career in immersive ethnographic work. The book is provocative and unapologetic, clear but complex, while inclusive and likely polarizing. One will deeply appreciate how Chris engages a fulsome discussion of personal research choices (and their consequences) rather than simply enumerating the list of choices confronting social scientists. Before picking up any of the ‘research recipe/cookie cutter’ oriented introductions to social science inquiry, read this book." -- Professor Michael Atkinson, The University of Toronto, Canada
