Critical realism, social structure and political analysis: A reply to Bevir and Rhodes

Bevir and Rhodes defend their interpretive approach by highlighting the ways in which it accounts for the influence of context on agency. Yet in so doing they seek to open up further conversation with critical realists concerning the role of social structure. This reply argues that critical realism can sustain a position which both avoids the philosophical pitfalls Bevir and Rhodes highlight, while also offering a post-positivist alternative to interpretivism. Furthermore, it is suggested that the absence of a clear concept of social structure could prove an Achilles heel for the new interpretivism. © 2006 Palgrave Macmillan Ltd.