1. SylabUZ
2. Faculty of Social Sciences
3. winter term 2020/2021
4. Sociology - Second-cycle studies leading to MS degree
5. Methodology of Social Sciences

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Methodology of Social Sciences - course description

Aim of the course

To acquaint students with science, with basic methodological concepts, specifics of social research, the process of development of various ways of scientific cognition and the ideal of scientific knowledge; principles of quantitative and qualitative research; mastering skills of planning students’ own scientific research, selecting research paradigm adequate for the research aim, skills for selecting or constructing research tools.

Prerequisites

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Scope

Lectures:

1. Different types of social practices, functions of science (research practice), a modern classification of the sciences.
2. Scientism and the positivist concept of science; the founding of the modern constructivism; constructivism as a methodological orientation of sociological studies.
3. Status of Humanities and the peculiarities of social sciences.
4. Concept of scientific theory, the law of science, historical generalizations.
5. The ideal of Sociology non-involved in values and the presence of values in practicing science; the concept of truth in science.
6. Components of a scientific texts: definitions, hypotheses.
7. Stages of scientific research, selection of methods, variables, indicators, sample.

Classes

1. Theoretical and practical inspirations in social research.
2. Paradigms in social sciences.
3. Rights, theories, concepts, definitions.
4. Planning and implementation of sociological research. Stages of the research process.
5. Aim of the research, research problems.
6. Hypothesis, variables, indicators.
7. Methods of selecting respondents.
8. Measurement. Development of data.

Teaching methods

Lecture with multimedia presentation; classes on analysis of various sociological concepts definitions, formulation of hypotheses, prepare a research plan and research tools, work with text, discussion.

Learning outcomes and methods of theirs verification

Outcome description	Outcome symbols	Methods of verification	The class form

Assignment conditions

Conditions for passing the lecture:
Credit for the grade in the form of written colloquium.

Conditions for passing the exercises:
Preparation of the research process project on a selected topic. Compliance with the topic, correct work structure, language, reliability, independence of the work, appropriate selection of the literature of the subject. The evaluation of the exercises will be the grade of the prepared project

The final grade in the subject is the arithmetic mean of grades from the classes and the lecture.

Recommended reading

Babbie E., The practice of social research.

Terre Blanche M. T., Terre Blanche M. J. T., Durrheim K., Painter D., Research in Practice: Applied Methods for the Social Sciences, Juta and Company Ltd, 2006. 

Payne G., & Payne J., Key concepts in social research. Sage, 2004. 

Davidson J., Evaluation Methodology Basics. Sage Publications, 2005.

Further reading

Wimmer R. D., Dominick J. R., Mass Media Research: An Introduction (10th Edition), Wadsworth, Cengage Learning: Boston MA, 2006.

Creswell J. W., Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches, 4th Edition 4th Edition. 

Martin W. E., Bridgmon K. D., Quantitative and Statistical Research Methods: From Hypothesis to Results 1st Edition.

O′Dwyer L., Bernauer J. A., Quantitative Research for the Qualitative Researcher 1st Edition. 

Mis B. A., Quantitative Research: An Introduction Paperback – August 26, 2012.

Notes

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Modified by dr Justyna Nyćkowiak (last modification: 22-04-2020 21:03)