Navigating the “crossroads”: Critical realism as the middle path in critical social work research

Summary This article navigates the critical crossroads facing contemporary social work, characterized by the schism between the “Empirical Highway” and “Postmodern/Critical Off-Ramp.” By exploring the evolution of scientific thought and its influence on social work—noting the adage that those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it, the article advocates for critical realism. This promising metatheory offers a “middle path,” avoiding the well-trodden routes of empirical rigidity and postmodern relativist turn. Critical realism elevates social work to its highest potential, harmonizing with the field's core values to catalyze profound transformation and fulfill its most ambitious ideals. Findings Critical realism synthesizes various research methods within a unified metatheoretical framework, effectively transcending traditional divides such as individual versus structural changes and quantitative versus qualitative methodologies. Rather than eclectically merging research paradigms, critical realism offers a distinctive perspective that acknowledges the inherent partiality and fallibility of all knowledge. This not only fosters collaboration across diverse research traditions but also significantly reshapes the worldview of social workers. Applications Adopting critical realism steers social work onto a transformative, emancipatory path, providing practitioners with tools to analyze and address both individual and structural realities. This approach champions high-impact research that is methodologically rigorous and aligned with social work's goals, focusing on actionable strategies to significantly improve the lives of equity-deserving groups by tackling the structural and underlying root causes of issues, not just effects. This ensures that social work research and practice drive meaningful and enduring policy and societal change.