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conversely, a scientific community consists of men who share a paradigm” (Kuhn
1996: 176). The concept of paradigms contradicts positivism. There is an irony,
perhaps often missed, in the similarity between Kuhn’s notion of paradigm and
Comte’s original postulations on the passing of historical epochs. Yet, taken together,
the work of Kuhn and Foucault constitute a direct refutation of the central claims of
positivism. Rather than science being an objective means of coming ever closer to
absolute truth, it is a social process and one which is intrinsically linked to the
exercise of power in society. Foucault and Kuhn set forth an epistemology that
fundamentally contradicts the positivist aspiration to discover universal social law.4
Applying Epistemology: a Positivist Thought Experiment
To consider further the difference between positivism and post-positivism as
theoretical frameworks producing different types of images, the two epistemologies
are applied to the same case study – the visual landscape of Belfast. In the aftermath
of the peace process in Northern Ireland a conscious effort has been made to change
the content of public murals in the city (Community Relations Council 2009). Such
attempts seem to suggest a negative relationship between the murals and post-conflict
communal integration. A positivist approach would prioritise establishing a causal
relationship between murals, and community relations. A useful research question is:
have the political murals in Belfast reinforced community division? To address this
question, the researcher must assume two variables – political murals (V1) and
community division (V2) – are measureable. The material nature of V1 would enable
researchers to record the prevalence of political murals quantitatively with little
difficulty. V2, being more abstract, would need to be defined by the researcher with
quantifiable, determinate factors of community division. In Belfast, researchers might
conceivably decide to measure factors such as: levels of paramilitary activity,
membership and support; known instances of sectarian violence; the number of
marches and protests by political parties and community organisations; and voting
behaviour. It may also be deemed appropriate to conduct a series of opinion surveys
among residents in the areas to analyse the level of hostility towards an opposing
community. If such an experiment was enacted and the suggested criteria measured, it
4
See Kuhn (1970) for an elaboration on the perspective regarding paradigms.