Theory and Method in the Social Sciences - 1st semester
Code
711081055
Academic unit
Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas
Department
Sociologia
Credits
6
Teacher in charge
João Sedas Nunes
Weekly hours
4
Teaching language
Portuguese
Objectives
1. Knowledge and understanding of the fundamentals of scientific research;
2. Understanding the relationship between theoretical arguments and empirical data;
3. Understanding of the basic differences and complementarities between the main strategies of sociological research (understanding / explanation; inductive / deductive; extensive / intensive);
4. Understanding key aspects of the theories of concept construction and concept measurement;
5. Ability to make scientific sense of concrete social situations using basic sociological concepts, taught at other curricular units;
6. Understanding and ability to apply the basic structure of a research plan;
7. Ability to transform elementary problems and sociological hypotheses into simple observation procedures;
8. Ability to communicate research procedures in an accurate and meaningful way.
Prerequisites
Not applicable
Subject matter
1. Scientific research and research construction/designing
1.1. What is scientific research?
1.1.1. Methodic doubt and falsifiability
1.1.2. The questioning of phenomena and systematic exploration
1.1.3. Research and theory
1.1.4. The specificity of social phenomena: explanation and understanding
1.2. Scientific observation and procedure apparatus
2. Research Construction/designing
2.1. Typical steps of a research
2.2. Research design: problématique and systematic exploration of reality
2.2.1. The research plan as an a priori key coordination component of the acts of realitys systematic exploration
2.2.2. Construction of the study object: the theoretical framing of the research design
2.2.3. The research design as a dynamic and evolving tool
2.2.4. Components of research design structure at different stages of research
Bibliography
Alasuutari, P., L. Bickman, J. Brannen (eds.) (2009). The Sage aandbook of social research methods. London, Thousand Oaks, New Delhi and Singapore: SAGE.
Bryman, Alan (2008). Social reseach methods. Oxford & New York: Oxford University Press (3ª ed.).
Gilbert, N. (org.) (2001). Researching social life. London: Sage (cap.1, 2, 4, 21).
Lazarsfeld, P. (1973). \"De los conceptos a los índices\" in Boudon, R. & Lazarsfeld, P. (org.), Metodología de las ciencias sociales, vol. 1, Conceptos y índices. Barcelona: Laia.
Merton, R.K. (1967), On theoretical sociology: Five essays, old and new. New York: The Free Press, cap.4-5.
Nunes, A.S (2001). Questões preliminares sobre as ciências sociais. Lisboa: Presença (12ª ed.).
Quivy, R. & Van Campenhoudt, L. (1998). Manual de investigação em ciências sociais. Lisboa: Gradiva.
Seale, C. (ed.) (2004). Social research methods: A reader. London & New York: Routledge.
Teaching method
a) Lectures (covering 60% of all classes); these aim at the presentation, discussion and clarification of the theoretical contents of the curricular unit.
b) practical classes (40%): monitoring sessions (monitoring, guidance and evaluation) of a work group based design of a research program framed by the theoretical and methodological protocols introduced during the (theoretical) lectures.
In class teaching.
Evaluation method
a) Group work with individual assessment component (60%); b) A written test focusing on the whole theoretical content of the curricular unit (40%). It should be noted that the grade obtained in a) reflects two evaluative dimensions: 1) the material result of the group´s work (a paper setting the group´s research project), which weighs 39%; 10% reserved for the evaluation of two intermediate progress reports; 2) its presentation, which weighs 21%.