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73 Broken Images: Positivist and Post-Positivist Epistemologies in Belfast’s Visual Landscape LISA CLAIRE WHITTEN1 The following article discusses two contrasting theories of knowledge – positivism and post-positivism – and their impact on research design. In outlining the central tenets of the diverging epistemologies, the work of Auguste Comte as an example of positivism, and the work of Michel Foucault and Thomas Kuhn as examples of post-positivism are given particular attention; the purpose of this is to place the political philosophies of Comte and Foucault – not ordinarily considered together – into dialogue. Using Comte and Foucault’s work as a basis, the respective value of positivism and post-positivism will be further considered through two hypothetical research designs into the same phenomenon the political murals and peace walls in Belfast. He is quick, thinking in clear images; I am slow, thinking in broken images. He becomes dull, trusting to clear images; I become sharp, mistrusting my broken images. Robert Graves, In Broken Images (in McGarry and O’Leary 1995: i). Introduction The aim of this article is to enable a dialogue between positivist and post-positivist research frameworks using the case study of the visual landscape of Belfast. Such an approach allows the discussion to explore in detail the effect of different epistemologies on an area of important research: the relationship of individuals to 1 Lisa Claire currently works as a Policy Assistant in the Office of the Northern Ireland Executive in Brussels. She is a graduate of Queen’s University Belfast’s MA in Comparative Ethnic Conflict, for which an earlier version of this article was originally written. Lisa previously studied for a BA Honours in Politics at Newcastle University.