SOC706 Methodology of social sciences

Faculty of Social Studies
Autumn 2015
Extent and Intensity
2/0/0. 6 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
prof. Martin Kreidl, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. Hana Syslová (seminar tutor)
Guaranteed by
prof. PhDr. Ladislav Rabušic, CSc.
Department of Sociology – Faculty of Social Studies
Contact Person: Ing. Soňa Enenkelová
Supplier department: Department of Sociology – Faculty of Social Studies
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
This course introduces to the methodology of social research. Main objectives are to understand the basic methodological concepts and to learn the main research strategies in social science especially in sociology. At the end of this course, students should understand connections between particular type of research question, goals and strategies and should be able to design the research proposal. This is an e-learning course that will require as much time and effort from students as a traditional classroom lecture course. Because this course will be taught via the Internet using e-learning methods, rather than as a lecture course in a physical classroom, students are expected to be comfortable using computer hardware and software, and to be comfortable doing reading independently.
Syllabus
  • The course is organized as a series of weekly topics which include lectures and required reading.The weekly topics include: 1. Essence of scientific approach. What kind of sciences is social sciences? Can the methods of the nature sciences be used in the social sciences? What is the nature of the reality to be investigated - different responses?
  • 2. Accumulation of knowledge or scientific revolutions? Concepts of a normal science and a paradigm. Social science - the competition of paradigms.
  • 3. The model of empirical science. Types of social research.
  • 4. Elements of social research. Designing quantitative research: planning the project. Se-lecting a topic and research questions.
  • 5. Dimensions of theorizing in social research. Inductive and deductive strategies. Hypothe-sis and its verification/falzification.
  • 6. Basic strategies of social research.
  • 7. Language of social of social science and languages of social research. Variables and their values.
  • 8. Between theory and reality: The operational definitions. The concept-indicator problem. Types of concept-indicator link.
  • 9. Measurement in social sciences. Strategy of measurement, validity, reliability. Nominal, ordinal and interval/ratio scales.
  • 10. Research unit. The nature of the different types of sampling.
  • 11. Relations between variables. The meaning of relationship and their interpretation. 12. Doing your own project.
  • 13. Researcher as a stranger. Ethnocentrism - trap for researcher.
Literature
  • SILVERMAN, David. Ako robiť kvalitatívny výskum : praktická príručka. Translated by Martin Štulrajter. Bratislava: Ikar, 2005, 327 s. ISBN 8055109044. info
  • BABBIE, Earl R. The practice of social research. 9th ed. Belmont: Wadsworth, 2001, 1 sv. (rů. ISBN 0-534-57474-2. info
  • RAGIN, Charles C. Constructing social research :the unity and diversity of method. Thousand Oaks: Pine Forge Press, 1994, xiii, 194. ISBN 0-8039-9021-9. info
  • DISMAN, Miroslav. Jak se vyrábí sociologická znalost. Praha: Karolinum, 1993, 374 s. ISBN 80-7066-822-9. info
Assessment methods
min. 6 written overviews of weekly readings, 3 short written papers, final written test
Language of instruction
Czech
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
The course can also be completed outside the examination period.
General note: Kurs je povinnou součástí kombinovaného studia, a má proto specifickou formu vyuky.
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2000, Spring 2001, Spring 2002, Spring 2003, Spring 2004, Autumn 2004, Autumn 2005, Autumn 2006, Autumn 2007, Autumn 2008, Autumn 2009, Autumn 2010, Autumn 2011, Autumn 2012, Autumn 2013, Autumn 2014, Autumn 2016, Autumn 2017.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Autumn 2015, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/fss/autumn2015/SOC706