Critical realism and health promotion: effective practice needs an effective theory

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Abstract
Critical realism (CR) is a realist theory that has been applied to explain and ground claims of knowledge, truth, progress and reality obtained through research in both natural and social sciences (Bhaskar, 1975, 1989; Archer and Bhaskar et al., 1998). CR in the social sciences, including research into health promotion, confronts other theories as inadequate in both explanatory resources and, importantly, as ethically indeterminate. For example, attempts to reach consensus amongst actors in particular social circumstances is a major aspiration and activity of researchers who espouse social constructionism as a theoretical grounds (Guba and Lincoln, 1989). For CR, however, any such consensus would be required to be supportable on the objective moral criteria of equality, justice and freedom (Bhaskar, 1989) as well as on the truth of the actor's beliefs. CR therefore has specific and exacting standards for any consensus-forming approach.

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