the value of social science research to the development of caribbean society* andrew s downes phd...

THE VALUE OF SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH TO THE DEVELOPMENT

OF CARIBBEAN SOCIETY*

Andrew S Downes PhDPro Vice Chancellor (Planning & Development) and Professor of Economics, University of the West Indies*Keynote Address, Postgraduate Conference, Department of Management Studies, UWI, Cave Hill, November 26,2014

OUTLINE OF PRESENTATION

The Nature of Social Science Research Development Challenges in the Caribbean Role of Social Science Research in the

Caribbean Way Forward for Social Science Research

in the Caribbean

THE NATURE OF SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH

What is Research?– “a scientific process of inquiry and/or experimentation that

involves purposeful, systematic and rigorous collection of data. Analysis and interpretation of the data are then made in order to gain new knowledge or add to existing knowledge. Research has the ultimate aim of developing an organized body of scientific knowledge” [Dempsey and Dempsey, 1992, p4.]

– “a systematic exploration designed to advance knowledge and understanding of a subject” [Baban, 2009, p.9]


Broad disciplinary groups include:– The Social Sciences ( economics, sociology, political studies,

management, social work, anthropology etc)– The STEM ( natural/life sciences, technology, engineering,

mathematics)– The Humanities ( history, literature, languages, philosophy etc)

There are cross-over disciplinary groups– Soc. Sci. and Hum. – law, cultural studies, library studies,

education– Soc. Sci. and STEM – geography, psychology, health sciences– STEM and Humanities (STEAM)– architecture ( A-arts)– PEST, PESTLE to environmental analysis/scanning in strategic

planning ( Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Legal. Environmental)


Social Science Research focuses on “the scientific study of human society and the manner in which people behave and influence the world around us (social relationships)”—human behavioural sciences

Social Science Research (SSR) is aimed at:– Testing ( scientific) theories– Advancing scientific knowledge – Assisting with the building and managing of successful social

programmes ( eg evaluation research and social impact assessment) SSR can be:

– Exploratory– Descriptive– Relational/Causal/Predictive– Comparative


Some Common Features of the Social Sciences:– Focus on the study of contemporary human societies,

economies, organizations and cultures and their development;

– Use of formally set out theories and logically consistent models with distinct rules and logics of theory development

– Use systematically collected data and information via well established methods—quantitative and qualitative;

– Seek patterns of association and causation in the context of “laws of social development”

– Seek to emulate the standards of “good science” and effective scholarship—using carefully checked data, rigorous analysis of data, replication critical analysis etc [Bastow et al]


Knowledge development via– Day to day experience and observation which may not be

based on testing ( ie folk knowledge). This as an aspect of “local knowledge” which is useful in undertaking SSR in particular environments—Caribbean, rural community, small enterprise etc

– Use of Scientific MethodScientific Method which yields Scientific Knowledge which combines the testing of folk knowledge and the theorizing of Literary Knowledge ( ie created by an abstracting process which highlights the essential elements of human experience)


Scientific Method uses the Deductive Approach —process whereby general statements or hypotheses are generated by starting from some basic axioms or assumptions

Alternatively, SSR can use an Inductive Approach whereby hypotheses are derivable from empirical observations which might show a high degree of regularity ( eg grounded theory) or

Abductive Approach which begins with an incomplete set of observations and proceeds to the likeliest ( best) possible explanation for the set. It yields the kind of decision-making that does its best with the information at hand, which often is incomplete. [ Martin 2009, p.144-6]

DEVELOPMENT CHALLENGES IN THE CARIBBEAN

Some Definitions of Development:– Seers (1969): Development involves a reduction in

poverty, unemployment and inequality. It also involves the realization of adequate educational levels, freedom of speech, political and economic independence of citizens and increases in per capita income.

– Sutton( 2005) Development is a “complex multifaceted process of economic, social, political, environmental and cultural change which results in increases in the well-being of people and extends their rights and choices in the present without comprising the abilities of future generations to enjoy these benefits”


Sen (1988 and others): Development is “an expansion of people’s capabilities, as a process of emancipation from necessities that constrain further realisation of human freedoms”. The instrumental freedoms are political freedoms, economic facilities, social opportunities, transparency guarantees and protective security. This underlies Human Development.Human Development.

UN (1992): Sustainable DevelopmentSustainable Development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.


Caribbean countries have assessed by various international agencies

– UNDP’s Human Development Report: Caribbean countries are ranked as largely “high human

development” with Barbados being classified as “very high human development” and Guyana and Suriname as “medium human development” where human development is measured by life expectancy at birth, mean and expected years of schooling and gross national income per capita.

– WEF’s Global Competitiveness Report Three stages of development: Haiti (Stage 1-Factor Driven);

Suriname ( Stage 2- Efficiency driven); Guyana and Jamaica ( transitioning from Stage 1 to 2); Trinidad & Tobago ( Stage3- Innovation driven) and Barbados ( transitioning from 2 to 3)


Although international perceptions of the Caribbean are good, the region faces significant development challenges which require the intervention of SSR and other research areas.

These main challenges include:– High level of poverty and youth unemployment as shown in recent

studies ( see CDB’s website)– Declining rates of economic growth and the need for economic

restructuring– Human insecurity ( crime and violence associated largely with the

drug trade)– Weaknesses in governance– Vulnerability to natural disasters and climate change effects– High incidence of non-communicable chronic diseases– High dependence on imported food and energy – Implementation deficit in projects and programs esp at the regional

level


A significant degree of research has been undertaken on aspects of these challenges:

– CDB’s Growth and Development Strategies for the Caribbean ( 2010)

– ECLAC’s: Review of Selected Areas of Research on the Caribbean Subregion in the 2000s: Identifying the Main Gaps ( 2011)

These reports also outline the areas of Caribbean development which require SSR and other research ( STEM and Humanities) and where SSR has been undertaken

ROLE OF SSR IN THE CARIBBEAN

Several of the development challenges are social scientific in nature and therefore SSR is directly relevant in helping to find solutions to the issues.

SSR may be basic or applied ( policy oriented) SSR can be used to explain a range of

phenomena; confirm issues and effects and develop reasons/causes and make inferences


There are various types of applied SSR:– Parameter estimation ( averages, variances etc)– Monitoring of social trends– Modelling social phenomena (developing

causal models)– Evaluation of ongoing policies and programs

( with and without exercises)– Social experimentation to examine alternative

policy options


SSR provides a number of benefitsa number of benefits for examining Caribbean development issues:

– Informs decision making, policy formulation and planning– Provides methods of data collection and analysis which are

credible and well established– Provides useful insights that were previously unknown ( eg

effects of actions)– Use of methods that reflect “procedural research

transparency” with credible data and replicable logic– Incorporates “local knowledge” to contextualize the issue

rather than drawing solely of foreign knowledge– Assist with the choice of alternative explanations of issues– Provides a socio-economic dimension of an issue


Over the years there have been attempts to develop an indigenous approach to SSR:

– Plantation economy and society ( Best-Levitt and Beckford)– Independent Thought ( Best)– Dependency ( New World Group, Girvan, Demas)– Plural society ( Smith-Robotham debate)– Integration ( Lewis, Demas, Brewster-Thomas, Girvan)– Convergence ( Thomas, Dookeran)– Radical ( Thomas, Munroe)

Useful review of SSR up to mid 1980s given in E Greene ( SES, vol 33, no 1 1984) and G Sankatsing (Caribbean Social Science: An Assessment, 1989). Also Lindsay (ed ISER,1978) and Nurse and Punnett, JECS 27(20 2002 for Mgmt Studies Research Review

There are some more general studies of Caribbean development and SSR mainly from a single discipline [see recent review in Bishop: The Rise and Fall of Caribbean Development Theory; 2013]

SSR has been largely empirically grounded in recent years

WAY FORWARD FOR SSR IN THE CARIBBEAN

Although a lot of SSR ( applied) has taken place on Caribbean development issues over the years there is still a lot more research to be done.

One challenge is funding of SSR—Government, Development partners, NGOs, Crowd-funding etc

Need to expose SSR at seminars, conferences, symposia –national, regional and international.

Publishing of high quality SSR in regional and international periodicals Packaging SSR findings for agencies and social media/websites

( more effective communication/presentation skills) Database development to undertake research—time series, cross

sectional, panel/longitudinal data Establishing inter-disciplinary teams to examine issues in a holistic

way—eg SALISES and development studies programme– with a well developed research programme.


Adoption of Inter-disciplinary and Trans- disciplinary Approaches to go beyond the Multi-disciplinary Approach to research.

Multi-disciplinary—each discipline brings its own approach to bear on a development issue in an additive fashion

Inter-disciplinary---there is integration or synthesis of two or more disciplines from the beginning of the analysis of the development issue.

Trans-disciplinary—provides a holistic approach that subordinates individual disciplines in looking at the whole dynamic process—highest level of integration

SSR is enriched when used in the two later approaches, but challenging to undertake.


Some example:– Poverty/Unemployment---SSR in an inter/trans-disciplinary approach– CNCD/Early Childhood Dev---SSR and Health/Medical—inter-discipl.– Alternative energy —SSR and STEM – Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) —SSR and Science.– Creative Industries —SSR and Humanities– Entrepreneurship ---SSR and STEAM

SSR is valuable and fundamental to resolving development challenges, but social scientists need to develop ways of measuring their impact and to engage in greater advocacy.

Human relations and institutions which underlie the fundamental basis of SSR lie at the root of development action.

Management research by its nature needs to be interdisciplinary.


“The ideas of economists and political philosophers, both when they are right and when they are wrong, are more powerful than is commonly understood. Indeed the world is ruled by little else. Practical men, who believe themselves to be quite exempt from any intellectual influence, are usually the slaves of some defunct economist.”

“The difficulty lies not so much in developing new ideas as in escaping from old ones”.

John Maynard Keynes These are the challenges for SSR but social scientists have to

press on with their research in a holistic and systematic manner. NOTE: Cassandra complex/problem—when valid concerns are or

good advice is not taken on board or dismissed--- a challenge for SSR.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH

the value of social science research to the development of caribbean society* andrew s downes phd...

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