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The Universal and the Contextual of Media Systems: Research Design, Epistemology, and the Production of Comparative Knowledge

Sat, May 26, 8:00 to 9:15, Hilton Prague, Floor: M, Karlin I

Abstract

Current discussions about the state of comparative research suggests the field is characterized by a methodological imbalance (i.e., many quantitative studies, few qualitative ones). This paper suggests the problem is better understood as an epistemological imbalance. We suggest that one epistemology—we call it “universalism”—underpins much comparative scholarship. While this approach produces numerous comparative insights, it also struggles to adequately account for the diversity of contexts it studies. We therefore describe an alternative epistemology, which we term “contextualism,” which aims to identify the mechanisms or principles that link cases across contexts. We suggest that progress in the field depends in part on the co-existence of multiple epistemologies, each with careful awareness of its strengths and limitations.

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