Seminars on critical realism and planning
Join us for three online dialogues reflecting on the work Professor Petter Næss and its potential for spatial planning knowledge and theory. Sign up here.
Research & Methods
Call for contributions to edited book ‘Critical Realism and Planning’
A guest post by Jin Xue. Call for contributions: Planning is an interdisciplinary field, operating at the intersection of science, policy, and lived experience. As the world is becoming increasingly complex and intertwined, and being challenged by polycrisis, new technologies… Read More »Call for contributions to edited book ‘Critical Realism and Planning’
Codes of Corruption: book launch
Karin Zotzmann’s Codes of Corruption: A Critical Realist Discourse Analysis of Illicit Transactions (2025) is the latest exciting book in Routledge’s Critical Realism book series. The Centre for Critical Realism is hosting an online book launch on May 14th 2025… Read More »Codes of Corruption: book launch
Revisiting Realist Theory of Science: A Practical Guide
A guest post by Tom Fryer and Cristián Navarrete. This blog is adapted from the introduction of Revisiting Realist Theory of Science (2024) by Tom Fryer and Cristián Navarrete. The full version of the book, which aims to introduce Bhaskar’s… Read More »Revisiting Realist Theory of Science: A Practical Guide
Critical realist and scientific realist principles scaffolding realist evaluation
A guest post by Ferdinand C Mukumbang Realist evaluation is a theory-driven approach to evaluating programmes (interventions and policies). Its focus on explaining how, why, for whom, and under what circumstances a programme works (or not) makes it attractive to… Read More »Critical realist and scientific realist principles scaffolding realist evaluation
My journey to critical realism (CR)
Guest post by Dr Li Li, Senior Lecturer, Bath Spa University ‘Making our Way through the World’ (borrowing Professor Margaret Archer’s (2007) words) conveys the trials and tribulations of our lives. My journey to the critical realist world has been… Read More »My journey to critical realism (CR)
Online book launch: Stories from researchers on learning to work with Critical Realism
=== Watch the video of the book launch on YouTube === Working with Critical Realism: Stories of Methodological Encounters, edited by Alpesh Maisuria and Grant Banfield, has been published by Routledge in our Critical Realism book series. This international and… Read More »Online book launch: Stories from researchers on learning to work with Critical Realism
Finding ‘a tribe’ – developing a critical realist ‘underlabouring muscle’
A guest post by Catherine Hastings, Angela Davenport and Karen Sheppard Critical realism can feel overwhelming at the start. There is much richness in Roy Bhaskar’s work and the writing of other researchers and philosophers who have worked with his… Read More »Finding ‘a tribe’ – developing a critical realist ‘underlabouring muscle’
Critical Realism for Health and Illness Research
A guest post by Priscilla Alderson about her new book: Alderson P. 2021. Critical Realism for Health and Illness Research: A Practical Introduction. Policy Press. https://policy.bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/critical-realism-for-health-and-illness-research-3 All are welcome to the book launch on Wednesday 21st April 5-6pm, London time.… Read More »Critical Realism for Health and Illness Research
Six Epistemic Challenges for Ethnographers (and how critical realism might help)
As a result of a series of workshops undertaken over the course of the year, a group of us decided to sit down and have a frank discussion about ethnography; both our own personal experiences as we have gone about… Read More »Six Epistemic Challenges for Ethnographers (and how critical realism might help)