RETRODUCITIVE RESEARCH STRATEGY AND COMPLEXITY OF MECHANISMS IN SOCIAL SCIENCE

This paper delves into the retroductive research strategy, a methodological approach rooted in critical realism, emphasizing its significance in understanding and explaining complex social phenomena. The retroductive strategy effectively integrates theoretical and empirical analyses to uncover the underlying internal and external mechanisms that shape observed events and structures. By employing a layered ontology that spans the empirical, actual, and real domains, the study illustrates how these mechanisms interact to produce social phenomena. Furthermore, the incorporation of historical sociology contextualizes these mechanisms within temporal and cultural frameworks, revealing the dynamic and cyclical process of transforming empirical observations into enduring causal structures. This spiral-like movement enriches our understanding of societal change and continuity, highlighting the intricate interplay of internal and external factors that influence social dynamics. By merging retroductive reasoning with historical analysis, the study offers a robust framework for examining the emergence, evolution, and implications of social mechanisms. Ultimately, this research contributes to a deeper understanding of the generative mechanisms that underpin social phenomena, providing valuable insights for scholars and practitioners in the social sciences. The findings underscore the importance of a comprehensive approach to studying social structures, encouraging further exploration of the complexities inherent in social research methodologies.