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Slippery Paths of (Mis)Understanding? Historically Based Explanations in Social Science

In: The Hidden Dynamics of Path Dependence

Author

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  • Dan Breznitz

Abstract

This chapter explores why and how — path dependence explanations offers us a useful way to analyze the role of history in social change. However for path dependence, to help us to achieve better understanding we must clearly specify it. For these reasons the emphasis in this chapter lies in differentiating and defining the many approaches all which are now confusingly called path dependence, even when each is based on a different set of assumptions about how the world works, and hence, embody different ontology and give us different ways in which to understand social change and conditions for change (Hall, 2003). In so doing this chapter is taking the challenge issued by Paul Pierson, Kathleen Thelen, John L. Campbell, and Colin Crouch to encourage such a debate (Campbell, 2004; Crouch, 2005; Pierson, 2000a; Pierson, 2000b; Thelen, 2004).

Suggested Citation

  • Dan Breznitz, 2010. "Slippery Paths of (Mis)Understanding? Historically Based Explanations in Social Science," Palgrave Macmillan Books, in: Georg Schreyögg & Jörg Sydow (ed.), The Hidden Dynamics of Path Dependence, chapter 2, pages 13-32, Palgrave Macmillan.
    • Handle: RePEc:pal:palchp:978-0-230-27407-5_2
    DOI: 10.1057/9780230274075_2
    as

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