SOC106 Methodology of Social Sciences

Faculty of Social Studies
Spring 2017
Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 6 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
prof. Martin Kreidl, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. Kateřina Sidiropulu Janků, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. Lucie Drdová (seminar tutor)
Mgr. Martin Lakomý, Ph.D. (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
Timetable
Tue 9:45–11:15 P51 Posluchárna V. Čermáka
  • Timetable of Seminar Groups:
SOC106/Belgie: No timetable has been entered into IS.
SOC106/Bulharsko: No timetable has been entered into IS.
SOC106/Ceska_republika: No timetable has been entered into IS.
SOC106/Dansko: No timetable has been entered into IS.
SOC106/Estonsko: No timetable has been entered into IS.
SOC106/Finsko: No timetable has been entered into IS.
SOC106/Francie: No timetable has been entered into IS.
SOC106/Chorvatsko: No timetable has been entered into IS.
SOC106/Irsko: No timetable has been entered into IS.
SOC106/Italie: No timetable has been entered into IS.
SOC106/Kypr: No timetable has been entered into IS.
SOC106/Litva: No timetable has been entered into IS.
SOC106/Lotyssko: No timetable has been entered into IS.
SOC106/Lucembursko: No timetable has been entered into IS.
SOC106/Madarsko: No timetable has been entered into IS.
SOC106/Malta: No timetable has been entered into IS.
SOC106/Nemecko: No timetable has been entered into IS.
SOC106/Nizozemsko: No timetable has been entered into IS.
SOC106/Polsko: No timetable has been entered into IS.
SOC106/Portugalsko: No timetable has been entered into IS.
SOC106/Rakousko: No timetable has been entered into IS.
SOC106/Recko: No timetable has been entered into IS.
SOC106/Rumunsko: No timetable has been entered into IS.
SOC106/Slovensko: No timetable has been entered into IS.
SOC106/Slovinsko: No timetable has been entered into IS.
SOC106/Spanelsko: No timetable has been entered into IS.
SOC106/Svedsko: No timetable has been entered into IS.
SOC106/Turecko: No timetable has been entered into IS.
SOC106/Ukrajina: No timetable has been entered into IS.
SOC106/Vatikan: No timetable has been entered into IS.
SOC106/Velka_Britanie: No timetable has been entered into IS.
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 a research proposal. Students are expected to be comfortable using computer hardware and software, and to be comfortable doing their readings 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
    required literature
  • 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
    recommended literature
  • CHAMBLISS, Daniel F. and Russell K. SCHUTT. Making sense of the social world : methods of investigation. 3rd ed. Los Angeles: Pine Forge Press, 2010, 1 v. ISBN 9781412969390. URL info
  • Současná filosofie sociálních věd :multikulturní přístup. Edited by Brian Fay - Jana Ogrocká. 1. vyd. Praha: Sociologické nakladatelství, 2002, 324 s. ISBN 80-86429-10-5. info
Teaching methods
lectures and class discusion, project, consultations, readings and homeworks
Assessment methods
quizzes, homeworks, final writtten test, project
Language of instruction
Czech
Further Comments
The course is taught annually.
Listed among pre-requisites of other courses
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2000, Spring 2001, Spring 2002, Spring 2003, Spring 2004, Spring 2005, Spring 2006, Spring 2007, Spring 2008, Spring 2009, Spring 2010, Spring 2011, Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Spring 2016, Spring 2018, Spring 2019, Spring 2020.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2017, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/fss/spring2017/SOC106