Postgraduate Course: Explanation and Understanding in Social and Political Research (PGSP11017)
Course Outline
| School |
School of Social and Political Science |
College |
College of Humanities and Social Science |
| Course type |
Standard |
Availability |
Available to all students |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) |
SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Credits |
20 |
| Home subject area |
Postgrad (School of Social and Political Studies) |
Other subject area |
None |
| Course website |
None
|
Taught in Gaelic? |
No |
| Course description |
This course presents a range of central issues in the theory and philosophy of the social and political sciences. These include debates around the core modes of analysis used in social and political science, central epistemological issues that arise from research, and the nature of social and political research itself. The course links ontological questions about the nature of the social and political world with epistemological questions about how we can produce valid knowledge of this world. The debates covered are examined in relation to key theoretical and empirical works in social and political science.
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Entry Requirements
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites |
|
| Prohibited Combinations |
|
Other requirements |
None
|
| Additional Costs |
None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites |
None |
| Displayed in Visiting Students Prospectus? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
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| Delivery period: 2010/11 Semester 1, Available to all students (SV1)
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WebCT enabled: Yes |
Quota: None |
| Location |
Activity |
Description |
Weeks |
Monday |
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
| No Classes have been defined for this Course |
| First Class |
Week 1, Tuesday, 11:10 - 13:00, Zone: Central. Seminar Room 2, Crystal Macmillan Building |
| No Exam Information |
Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course our aim is that students will:
&· Have an understanding of key ontological issues within the social sciences, that is, be conversant with debates about the basic $ùbuilding blocks&© of the social world.
&· Understand central epistemological debates within the social sciences. This will mean grasping different views about the status and purpose of social scientific knowledge.
&· Be able to critically reflect on ontological and epistemological theories.
&· Be able to connect theoretical debates with empirical research issues in their area of interest
&· Be able to discuss theoretical debates and their empirical consequences with other students. |
Assessment Information
| Assessment will be by a 3500-4,000 word course paper, which can either be purely theoretical or link theoretical issues with particular research topics. |
Special Arrangements
| None |
Additional Information
| Academic description |
Not entered |
| Syllabus |
Not entered |
| Transferable skills |
Not entered |
| Reading list |
Suggested preliminary reading:
Hay, Colin (2002) Political Analysis: A Critical Introduction, Houndmills, Palgrave
Smith, Mark J. (1998) Social Science in Question, London: Sage
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| Study Abroad |
Not entered |
| Study Pattern |
Not entered |
| Keywords |
Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser |
Dr Stephen Kemp
Tel: (0131 6)50 3978
Email: S.Kemp@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary |
Mrs Gillian Macdonald
Tel: (0131 6)51 3244
Email: gillian.macdonald@ed.ac.uk |
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copyright 2011 The University of Edinburgh -
31 January 2011 8:09 am
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