USESEA003 Methodology of Political Sciences

Faculty of Public Policies in Opava
Summer 2019
Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 4 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
Mgr. Michal Kuděla (lecturer)
Mgr. Michal Kuděla (seminar tutor)
Guaranteed by
Institute of Central European Studies – Faculty of Public Policies in Opava
Prerequisites
Expert knowledge:
Students are able to name and define basic methods used in politology, to explain their main aspects and the areas of application. They know the basic terminology and the principles of scientific work and research.
Expert Skills:
Students are able to apply adequate methodological processes in politological research, to critically evaluate professional literature on the given topic, to identify and to evaluate key variables in the research.
General Competency:
Students are able to proces a professional text on a particular topic independently and to apply selected theories, using an adequate methodological process. They are also able to analyze a selected topic, to determine its main aspects and to find and use adequate specialized literature.
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is offered to students of any study field.
Course objectives
The aim of the subject is to familiarize students with the main methods and theoretical approaches used in political science. In the introductory part of the subject, students are presented with basic terminology, the principles of scientific work and research, and with the principles of processing professional text. The following part of the subject deals with the analysis of particular methodological approaches and options. In the seminars, students are presented with conrete examples of using selected methods which they learn to apply independently in the course of individual and group assignments and find the areas of their application.
Syllabus
  • 1. Basic terms used in a research process.
    2. Methodology in relation to politological theories.
    3. The principles of creating and verifying hypotheses.
    4. Causality in social sciences.
    5. A professional text in political science and the ethics in social sciences.
    6. Qualitative research.
    7. Historical method.
    8. Comparative method.
    9. Behavioralism.
    10. Functional theory.
    11. The theory of rational choice.
    12. The application of statistical methods in politology.
Literature
    required literature
  • DISMAN, M. Jak se vyrábí sociologická znalost: příručka pro uživatele. Praha: Karolinum, 2011. ISBN 978-80-246-1966-8. info
  • DRULÁK, P. Jak zkoumat politiku: kvalitativní metodologie v politologii a mezinárodních vztazích. Praha: Portál, 2008. ISBN 978-80-7367-385-7. info
  • HENDL, J. Kvalitativní výzkum. Základní teorie, metody a aplikace. Praha: Portál, 2008. ISBN 978-80-7367-485-4. info
  • HENDL, J. Přehled statistických metod zpracování dat: analýza a metaanalýza dat. Praha: Portál, 2006. ISBN 80-7367-123-9. info
  • FIALA, P. a SCHUBERT, K. Moderní analýza politiky: uvedení do teorií a metod policy analysis. Brno: Barrister & Principal, 2000. ISBN 80-85947-50-1. info
  • ŘÍCHOVÁ, B. Přehled moderních politologických teorií. Empiricko-analytický přístup v soudobé politické vědě. Praha: Portál, 2000. ISBN 80-7178-461-3. info
  • BERG-SCHLOSSER, D. a STAMMEN, T. Úvod do politické vědy. Praha: Institut pro středoevropskou kulturu a po, 2000. ISBN 80-86130-09-6. info
    recommended literature
  • KELLSTEDT, P. a WHITTEN, G. The fundamentals of political science research. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2009. info
  • JOHNSON, J. B., REYNOLDS, H. T. a MYCOFF, J. D. Political science research methods. Washington: CQ Press, 2008. ISBN 978-0-87289-442-6. info
  • COLEBATCH, H. K. Úvod do Policy. Brno: Barrister & Principal, 2005. ISBN 80-86598-79-9. info
  • MARSH, D. a STOKER, G. (eds.). Theory and methods in political science. Basingstoke: Palgrave, 2002. info
Language of instruction
Czech
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
The course can also be completed outside the examination period.
Teacher's information
Exam requirements: seminar paper, methodological assignments, oral exam.
The course is also listed under the following terms Summer 2014, Summer 2015, Summer 2016, Summer 2017, Summer 2018.
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