Philosophical pluralism in qualitative research: Integrating critical realism and social constructionism through Foucault

Abstract

This note advances the integration of critical realism and social constructionism in qualitative research, drawing on Foucault's analysis of power, knowledge, and discourse to explicate how social realities are shaped, maintained, and contested. While critical realism posits an objective, stratified reality that can be approached through inquiry, social constructionism emphasizes the contingent, socially constructed nature of knowledge and meaning. Foucault's work offers a critical bridge between these paradigms, illuminating the ways material structures and discursive practices co-constitute subjectivity, agency, and social phenomena. Despite persistent philosophical tensions and critiques regarding integration, this note argues for a theoretically and methodologically pluralistic framework, one that recognizes both the causal power of material structures and the constitutive force of discourse. By elaborating the conceptual, epistemological, and methodological dimensions of this integration, and illustrating its practical implications for mental health research, this note aims to enrich qualitative inquiry and promote more robust, reflexive, and socially just research practices. In doing so, it responds to the gap in the literature on philosophical integration and demonstrates the necessity of pluralist frameworks for addressing the complexities of contemporary society.