ABSTRACT
Having defi ned and described some key concepts relevant to metatheoretical research, it is fi tting at this point to consider some of the criticisms that have been levelled against grand theorising. Indeed for several decades now, there have been substantive arguments mounted against metatheories, overarching theories and metanarratives in general (Lyotard, 1984). Mainstream empirical science has also turned away from metatheoretical research and focused instead on the testing of middle-range theory. Addressing both modern and postmodern critiques is an important task for any metatheoretical undertaking and this chapter will briefl y present some of the more common arguments for and against the metatheoretical position.
