For an empirical study of social love: Epistemological and methodological research approaches

This chapter presents the main methodological approaches to research on social love. Starting from the decision to refuse the hypothesis that argues the impossibility of doing empirical research on social love, the peculiarities of qualitative and quantitative methods are presented. Qualitative and quantitative methods are usually put in contrast because they would be irreconcilable, for ontological reasons. On the contrary, the chapter outlines that qualitative and quantitative methodologies are the main lines of the sociological investigation on social love. Firstly, the relationship between qualitative methodology and social love is discussed. The qualitative methodology is particularly suitable for the study of social love, because it is able to articulate the complex link that connects the actor, the context in which the social love takes shape and the researcher, who tries to interpret the meaning attributed to the social love by the actor. This methodological framework is related to constructivism and interactionism, useful to read the dynamics that determine the interpretative mechanisms implemented by the social actor. Secondly, the relationship between quantitative methodology and social love is discussed. The quantitative methodology is able to identify some dimensions concerning altruism and social love, that go beyond the social love, when the subject acts producing benefits for the person with whom is in relation. This methodological framework is related to individualism, according to which the subject is capable of doing what she/he prefers according to her/his own system of values. Thanks to this approach, the concepts of altruism and social love are situated.