Interpretivism Vs Interpretivism

To fulfill accuracy in this research, the main strategy that is used is the mixed methods, which lies under the post-positivist philosophy. This strategy is mainly the result of the combination of the positivist and the anti-positivist philosophies. In their book Designing and Conducting Mixed Methods Research, Creswell and Plano Clark (2011, p. 5) state that the mixed methods technique “[…] involves philosophical assumptions that guide the direction of the collection and analysis of data and the mixture of qualitative and quantitative data in a single study or series of studies.”

On the one hand, the positivist philosophy encompasses the normative paradigm as it recognizes that human behavior is easily detected, categorized and can simply

For instance, it is mainly designed to understand the subjective aspects of human experience. Interpretivism revolves around giving meaning to human behavior with the exclusion of logic as the source of reasoning. As a matter of fact, theories developed within the interpretive paradigm essentially derive from meticulous situations with profound reliance on subjective experiences. Therefore, it is an inductive philosophy that starts with individuals to develop an understanding of the world around them through interpretations. These interpretations are often implemented through the comparison of realities occurring in differing contexts; such as time and place. Interpretivism, then, acknowledges the differences that characterize human experiences through a detailed examination. Hence, this allows the establishment of varied and multifaceted theories that take into account the existence of diversity among particular

Certainly, the mixed methods technique is designed to avoid polarizations; which constitutes the rationale behind choosing it as a research strategy. Indeed, it takes into account the objective and subjective aspects of the group and individual experiences. Then, it is simultaneously deductive and inductive as it combines generalities with particularities which assure a complete picture of the issue being studied. All in all, joining together macro and micro research methods generates balanced findings; that encompass accurate conclusions, less biased interpretations and a holistic perception of the subject under study. In the first edition of their book Designing and Conducting Mixed Methods Research, Creswell and Plano Clark affirm “that the use of quantitative and qualitative approaches in combination provides a better understanding of research problems than either approach alone” (2007, p. 5). Applied in the research, the mixed methods approach not only tests the hypothesis of Islamic fundamentalism as a concern for non-Muslim Americans and Muslim Tunisians but also generates new information from the gathered data. The amalgamation of both methods helps in connecting the various points explored in the research topic to reach pragmatic