USESEA002 Methodology of Humanities

Faculty of Public Policies in Opava
Winter 2018
Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 4 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
doc. PhDr. Dušan Janák, Ph.D. (lecturer)
doc. PhDr. Dušan Janák, Ph.D. (seminar tutor)
Guaranteed by
doc. PhDr. Dušan Janák, Ph.D.
Institute of Central European Studies – Faculty of Public Policies in Opava
Prerequisites
Expert Knowledge:
Students are able to characterize the main methodological paradigms of social science researches. They acquire the idea of the main research methods and the problems related to financing science and the application of scientific research in social practice. They are able to describe the main trends in the development of social sciences.
Expert Skills:
The graduates will be able to design a simple research, to apply some simple research techniques according to the basic methodological principles, to search for data to be used in a secondary analysis in the main publicly available sources. To be able to assess the representativity of a selected sample according to basic criteria. To work systematically with the sources of scientific information.
General competency:
The graduates of the subject should be able to critically assess research results presented by media and to appropriately assess the potential of social researches in the area of public politics as well as in a private sphere.
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is offered to students of any study field.
Course objectives
The aim of the subject is to present students with the main methodological aspects of research in the area of social science and with the main issues related to the application of these researches. The main goal is to present the logics of building scientific knowledge. The subject is broken down into three follow-up blocks. The first one deals with general principles of acquiring scientific knowledge, the relationship between science and a broader social process, and also with the issue of legitimization of scientific knowledge in relation to its application in social practice. The second and most extensive block familiarizes students with the main methodological approaches in social sciences and presents a range of major methods as well as concrete examples of their application. It shows the difference as well as the integration of empirical and theoretical research in social sciences. The third block deals with some practical questions related to the production of scientific knowledge, the issue of financing science, storing existing data and using them in further research, and applying the results of scientific work.
Syllabus
  • Block I.
    1. Historical Introduction - the formation of social sciences in the 19th century and the dispute over their methodology.
    2. The relation between the social science and society in the contemporary world (social functions of science and the theory of reflexive modernization)
    3. The language of science and the language of social practice; the problem of values in social sciences.
    Block II.
    4. Positivism. Objectivity and measuring, quantitative approaches.
    5. The main methods of quantitative research.
    6. Quantitative methodology in research practice. Examples.
    7. Understanding and interpretation. Subjectivity and meaning, qualitative approaches.
    8. The main methods of qualitative research.
    9. Qualitative methodology in the research practice. Examples.
    10. Empirical and theoretical research.
    Block III.
    11. Basic and applied research in social sciences: financing science.
    12. Using existing data acquired from empirical research and using the results of scientific work.
    The seminars are focused on practising the application of methodological processes. For this reason, they will be integrated with
    a) practical needs of student´s researches for the purpose of student´s qualification theses, or
    b) the researches currently in progress at FVP SU by actively taking part in the collection and processing data.
    In the seminars, students will present and discuss the methodology of their researches designated for their qualification theses and / or results of their work connected with their involvement in the running research.
Literature
    required literature
  • JANÁK, D. Metody a techniky sociologických výzkumů. (elektronický dokument). Opava: Slezská univerzita v Opavě, 2011. info
  • BRYMAN, A. Social research methods. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008. ISBN 978-0-19-920295-9. info
  • FAJKUS, B. Filosofie a metodologie vědy. Vývoj, současnost a perspektivy. Praha: Academia, 2005. ISBN 80-200-1304-0. info
  • FAY, B. Současná filosofie sociálních věd. Multikulturní přístup. Praha: Sociologické nakladatelství, 2002. ISBN 80-86429-10-5. info
  • DISMAN, M. Jak se vyrábí sociologická znalost. Praha: Karolinum, 2000. ISBN 80-246-0139-7. info
    recommended literature
  • WALLERSTEIN, I. M. a kol. Kam směřují sociální vědy. Praha: Sociologické nakladatelství, 1998. ISBN 80-85850-65-6. info
  • WEBER, M. Metodologie, sociologie a politika. Praha: Mladá fronta, 1998. ISBN s. 7-19, 135-160. info
Language of instruction
Czech
Further Comments
The course can also be completed outside the examination period.
The course is also listed under the following terms Winter 2013, Winter 2014, Winter 2015, Winter 2016, Winter 2017.
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