FVP:UVSRPHD001 Theory and Methodology - Course Information

UVSRPHD001 Theory and Methodology of Science

Extent and Intensity

12/0/0. 5 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).

Teacher(s)

Mgr. Andrea Preissová Krejčí, Ph.D. (lecturer)

Guaranteed by

Mgr. Andrea Preissová Krejčí, Ph.D.
Institute of Public Administration and Social Policy – Faculty of Public Policies in Opava
Contact Person: JUDr. Marie Sciskalová, Ph.D.

Prerequisites (in Czech)

FAKULTA(FVP) && TYP_STUDIA(C)

Course Enrolment Limitations

The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.

fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with

• Public Administration and Social Politics (programme FVP, VSSP)

Course objectives

The course objective is to introduce students to the problems of knowledge resources, particularly of scientific ones.Discussed are the role of science as a theoretical system, the role of facts and data in science, also issues of legitimization of scientific findings and basic issues in contemporary theory and methodology of science.Methodological material is illustrated by examples of significant sociological research, especially such that overlap into the field of public administration and social policy.

Learning outcomes

Professional knowledge • Students will acquire basic knowledge of the theory and methodology of science.They also get a basic overview of philosophical context and starting points related to the acquisition of scientific knowledge. • Professional skills • Students will be able to describe the basic paradigms associated with the social sciences and describe the differences between the approaches of natural and social sciences. • General Qualification • Students will be able to debate and critically reflect on the issue of acquisition of scientific knowledge.They will also gain an overview of the historical development of the theory and methodology of science.

Syllabus

• 1. Science as a form of knowledge.Pre-scientific, non-scientific and scientific knowledge. • 2. Scientific knowledge and research.Types of research: theoretical, empirical, fundamental, applied. • 3. Uniform science or multiplicity of sciences?Difference between social and natural sciences. • 4. Social function of science and research of social subject.Scientific knowledge and lay experience.The theory of reflexive modernization • 5. Truth and values or truth versus values?Science and the problem of power.Historical examples.Contemporary examples: public sociology, feminist social science, epistemology of opinion.Issues of application of scientific findings in practice. • 6. Facts and data, subjectivity and objectivity, relevance. • 7. Paradigms.Multiparadigmatic character of social sciences. • 8. Hypothesis in science as a kind of theoretical statement.Kinds of hypothesis, validation methods. • 9. Validation of theory.Verification and falsification.Logical validation: deduction, induction, analogy.Empirical validation: observation, experiment. • 10. Quantitative research strategy: objectivity and measurement.Elements of the process of scientific knowledge in quantitative strategy.Conceptualization, operationalization, indicators and signs.Measurement issues in human sciences. • 11. Qualitative research strategy: objectivity and significance.Elements of the process of scientific knowledge in qualitative strategy. • 12. Classical sociological research: examples of constructing a sociological method. • 13. Modern sociological research: application of advanced sociological methods

Teaching methods

Theoretical preparation, lecture, project-based learning.

Assessment methods

Written test to verify the knowledge of fundamental methodological problems of Social Sciences.Elaboration of presentations of selected research in the field of public policy.

Language of instruction

Czech

Further Comments

The course can also be completed outside the examination period.

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