Abstract

Research in the field of social development has evolved mainly along the dimensions of measurement and evaluation. Most research have tended to subscribe to two main schools of thoughts, defined as the "objective school" and the "subjective school". This paper analyzes the work and contribution of these schools. In addition, the social indicators movement and the use of case studies based on a single system design are described, analyzed, and critiqued. In the last section, the paper analyzes individual research studies but attempts to draw the common themes among the various empirical studies in the field. This paper also attempts to provide the need for new types of research in the field and the direction and methods by which new research can be brought to bear on the field of social development.

Keywords

Objective & Subjective Schools, Measurement, Social Indicator, Case Study, Single System Design