ABSTRACT

Context is a key concept in developing realist causal explanations but its conceptualisation has received comparatively less attention. We conducted a review to explore how context is conceptualised within realist reviews and evaluations. We purposively selected 40 studies to examine: How is context defined? And how is context operationalised in the findings? We identified two key ‘narratives’ in the way context was conceptualised: 1) Context as observable features (space, place, people, things) that triggered or blocked the intervention; assuming that context operates at one moment in time and sets in motion a chain reaction of events. 2) Context as the relational and dynamic features that shaped the mechanisms through which the intervention works; assuming that context operates in a dynamic, emergent way over time at multiple different levels of the social system. These two context narratives have different implications for the design, goals and impact of realist reviews and evaluations.

摘要

背景是发展现实主义因果解释的一个关键概念，但其概念化受到的关注相对较少。我们进行了审查，以探索在现实主义审查和评估中如何概念化背景。我们特意选择了 40 项研究来检验：上下文是如何定义的？研究结果中的上下文是如何操作的？我们在上下文概念化的方式中确定了两个关键“叙述”：1）上下文作为触发或阻止干预的可观察特征（空间、地点、人、事物）；假设上下文在某个时刻运行并启动事件的连锁反应。2) 语境是塑造干预工作机制的关系和动态特征；假设上下文在动态中运行，随着时间的推移在社会系统的多个不同层次上出现的方式。这两种背景叙述对现实主义评论和评估的设计、目标和影响具有不同的含义。