Activity 3.6- Research Paradigms

The desire for more renewable energy sources has become more apparent over time, resulting in a boom in alternative energy production. The transition to more “clean” and reliable energy has made way for a multitude of benefits for both the environment and the economy; however, the practice of using renewable energy in favor of its counterpart is not as perfect as many would like to believe. The industry itself is subject to much controversy, and its close involvement to many aspects of human life make it a prime topic for research. 

A researcher looking at the issue from a positivism approach would analyze the correlation between the uses of nonrenewable energy and the extent of the impact they have on the environment. They would look at the scientific data proving the positive impact of using clean energy sources has on the environment, comparing it to more traditional methods, as well as looking at the data to prove that making the change would be sustainable. Additionally, a researcher using this approach would also examine the long-term effects of using such energy, and determine whether or not it is more overall beneficial, by comparing its data to the effects of more non-environmentally friendly sources. 

A structural functional approach might be more inclined to observe how the alternative energy production industry influences the economy. The wind industry in Texas alone has created up to 26,000 jobs and $5.1 billion in capital investments (American Wind Energy Association, 2020), and these numbers only grow exponentially when including the data from other regions and source industries. They would focus on the number of jobs the industry provides, as well as the amount of money it generates for the economy, determining the benefits it has on the current society. More money equates to more industry, which equates to more jobs, which equates to better societal stability. 

A critical race theorist would be more interested in the correlation between the locations of the waste disposal sites for these alternative energy production industries, and the communities surrounding them. A practitioner of this paradigm would look at where these disposal sites are currently, as well as where they plan to be built, and directly observe the ethnic demographic of the people in those areas. From there, they would use the information to determine whether or not certain groups are being treated unfairly due to correlations between the two.

References:

-American Wind Energy Association (AWEA). (2020). Wind energy in Texas. https://www.awea.org/Awea/media/Resources/StateFactSheets/Texas.pdf