RLB260 Study of religions in the context of social sciences

Faculty of Arts
Spring 2009
Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 4 credit(s). Type of Completion: k (colloquium).
Teacher(s)
Mgr. Milan Fujda, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
prof. PhDr. Dušan Lužný, Dr.
Department for the Study of Religions – Faculty of Arts
Contact Person: Lucie Čelková
Timetable of Seminar Groups
RLB260/P: Thu 13:20–14:55 B11, M. Fujda
RLB260/K: Fri 13. 3. 16:40–18:15 J31, Fri 10. 4. 16:40–18:15 J31, Fri 15. 5. 16:40–18:15 N41, M. Fujda
Prerequisites (in Czech)
RLA01 Introduction to Religion || RLKA01 Introduction to Religion
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.

The capacity limit for the course is 50 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/50, only registered: 0/50
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
The aim of course is to introduce students to methods available to the Study of Religions as the social science. Students will be introduced to philosophical principles of modern science project, to specifics of social sciences and to principle methodological tools of social sciences.
At the end of this course, students should understand what the science is for, and how the science differs from another sets/systems of knowledge in society. They should be able to explain principles of the scientific classification and the issues of defining, to explain what is a proposition, a judgement, an argument. They should understand the difference between language and meta-language, they should understand what concepts, hypotheses and theories are for in science, and how these can be verified/falsified. They should be able to explain concepts of reliability and validity in social scientific research, understand the function of experiment and the issues concerning research variables. They should be able to apply this knowledge to particular topics in the study of society and culture.
Syllabus
  • (0) Organisational meeting; (1) A concept of sceience and scientific research: Natural vs. social sciences; (2) Principles of logic: Defining, implication, argument; (3) Concept, hypothesis, theory, paradigm; (4) Causality in social sciences, experiment and variables; (5) Validity and reliability; (6) Research question, working hypothesis and sample; (7) Research design, method: Overview of possibilities; (8) Problems of questioning; (9) A language of statistics; (10) What quantitative research does not say; (11) Principles of qualitative research; (12) From questioning to theory.
Literature
  • PUNCH, Keith. Introduction to social research : quantitative and qualitative approaches. 2nd ed. London: SAGE Publications, 2006, xvi, 320. ISBN 0761944176. info
  • Jak se vyrábí sociologická znalost :příručka pro uživatele. Edited by Miroslav Disman. 3. vyd. Praha: Karolinum, 2000, 374 s. ISBN 80-246-0139-7. info
  • Critical issues in social research : power and prejudice. Edited by Suzanne Hood - Berry Mayall - Sandy Oliver. 1st pub. Buckingham: Open University Press, 1999, ix, 177 s. ISBN 0-335-20141-5. info
  • WALLERSTEIN, Immanuel Maurice. Kam směřují sociální vědy :zpráva Gulbenkianovy komise o restrukturaci sociálních věd. Translated by Karel Müller. Vyd. 1. Praha: Sociologické nakladatelství, 1998, 111 s. ISBN 80-85850-65-6. info
  • LIESSMANN, Konrad and Gerhard ZENATY. O myšlení :úvod do filosofie. Translated by Jiří Horák. Olomouc: Votobia, 1994, 377 s., ob. ISBN 80-85619-94-6. info
Assessment methods
Contents of the semester:
Lectures, class discussions, homeworks, test.
Requirements for colloquium:
(1) Submission of small homeworks.
(2) Research design/proposal.
(3) Test with open questions.
Language of instruction
Czech
Further Comments
Study Materials
The course is taught once in two years.
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