Commentary: Leapfrogging as a Principle for Research on Children and Youth in Majority World Settings

Autor/in	Sommer, Simon
Titel	Commentary: Leapfrogging as a Principle for Research on Children and Youth in Majority World Settings
Quelle	In: Journal of Research on Adolescence, 23 (2013) 1, S.187-188 (2 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1050-8392
DOI	10.1111/j.1532-7795.2012.00835.x
Schlagwörter	Stellungnahme; Foreign Countries; Psychological Studies; Non Western Civilization; Comparative Analysis; Research Methodology; Children; Youth; South Africa (Cape Town) + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Ausland; Research method; Forschungsmethode; Child; Kind; Kinder; Jugend; Jugendlicher; Jugendalter
Abstract	This commentary was written while the author was visiting the 30th International Congress of Psychology in Cape Town, South Africa. Looking at the program, he could see that psychological research on non-Western populations and internationally comparative research seems to be much "en vogue"! However, much of the research he has seen left him--as a representative of a research funding organization--rather puzzled. The first reason for his perplexity is his perception that only very few internationally comparative studies offer a convincing theoretical rationale for the choice of their comparison countries or populations; in fact the choice almost always seems to be a question of convenience. A second observation is that many of the senior Western researchers moving into this area do not have experience in cross-cultural research or within the countries they target, but mostly engage in partnerships with researchers from Majority World countries. As a provocative challenge, this authors suggests "leapfrogging" as a principle for research on children and youth in the Majority World. The concept of "leapfrogging" was developed in economic research in the context of growth theories and innovation studies. It proposes that companies holding monopolies based on current technologies have less incentive to innovate than potential competitors, and therefore over time lose their technological leadership role, in particular when technological innovations are adopted by new firms which are ready to take risks. When these innovations eventually become new technological paradigms, the newcomer companies "leapfrog" ahead of the formerly leading firms. The author contends that "leapfrogging" research methodologies and instruments may be the solutions of choice to help research in and on the Majority World to rise to current standards. (ERIC).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10