Магистратура
2026/2027
Методы сравнительной и исторической социологии
Статус:
Курс по выбору (Сравнительные социальные исследования / Comparative Social Research)
Кто читает:
Департамент социологии
Где читается:
Факультет социальных наук
Когда читается:
1-й курс, 3 модуль
Охват аудитории:
для своего кампуса
Язык:
английский
Кредиты:
3
Контактные часы:
44
Course Syllabus
Abstract
Comparative and historical sociology (CHS) tries to give causal explanation to historical outcomes. CHS employs comparative method, social scientific theories and concepts, traces large-scale trajectories and transformations and long-term historical processes for offering more holistic understanding of the origins of our times. Comparative historical methods examines historical events in order to create explanations that are valid beyond a particular time and place, either by direct comparison to other historical events, theory building or with reference to the present day. CHS is highly interdisciplinary in nature. Using readings drawn from disciplines such as sociology, history, geography, anthropology, institutional economics and political science, this course discusses the methods of comparative and historical sociology – mainly qualitative aspects and, to some extent, mixed methods. There can be no method without a theoretical base, and CHS is particularly theory-intensive and places emphasis on theory-laden narratives. These narratives include cases such as changing dynamics of state–society relations, revolutions, and other kinds of macro-transformations. Based on research and cases from western and non-western worlds and perspectives, this course covers the range of methodological and geographical aspects of comparative and diachronic studies of societies. In doing that, the course discusses various kinds of research designs, techniques, reasoning, issues of causality and methodological approaches such as single and small-N case studies, process tracing, necessary and sufficient conditions, and contingency-path dependency, which are used in CHS.
Learning Objectives
- To study contemporary texts on CHS
- To study the methods in CHS
- To acquire updated knowledge on CHS theories and methods
Expected Learning Outcomes
- Develop basic understanding of negative cases, deviant cases, outlier cases, and learn how to do counterfactual case analysis in qualitative CHS.
- Develop capacity to analyse single cases (exceptional, deviant or normal) and conceptualise single case research designs, and draw inferences.
- Develop methodological, conceptual, and analytical capabilities required for undertaking Small N case study analysis i.e. comparing 2-9 cases qualitatively.
- Develop methodological, conceptual, and analytical capabilities required to apply process tracing and causal mechanism research design, mostly in single-N case analysis, and draw inferences.
- Learn basic aspects of causality in positivism, realism, and critical realism, and learn how the notion of constitutivity is different from causality and can be used in interpretive analysis of social change.
- Learn fundamentals of comparative and historical research and case study method in qualitative sociology.
- Learn how the ethnographic method can be applied across large scale time and space, through the qualitative technique of extended case study method in CHS.
- Learn why 'evenemential temporality' (as opposed to teleological and experimental temporality) is a crucial research design that can radically rethink events, orders, sequence, and timing in CHS, and learn the techniques of contingency-path dependency model of CHS analysis.
- Learn why temporality is a crucial dimension of CHS analysis, and how to theorise interconnected spatio-temporal dimensions of social processes through periodization.
- The students will learn about the impotnace of theory in CHS, to identify historical and sociological sources and evidences that can be succesfully used in CHS research and then how to use these sources to theorise and compare large scale social processes.
Course Contents
- Basics of CHS and Case Study Methods
- Small N Comparative Analysis
- Negative Cases and Counterfactuals
- Single N Cases
- Causality and Constitutivity
- Process Tracing of Causal Mechanisms
- Temporality and Periodization
- Path Dependency and Contingency
- Extended Case Method
- Sources, Evidences and Theories
Assessment Elements
- Methods in Comparative and Historical SociologyA 2000 word method essay + max 10 references needs to be submitted, and needs to be presented
- Presentation of the essay10 percent marks is blocked
Interim Assessment
- 2026/2027 3rd module0.3 * Presentation of the essay + 0.7 * Methods in Comparative and Historical Sociology
Bibliography
Recommended Core Bibliography
- Advances in comparative-historical analysis, , 2016
- Comparative-historical methods, Lange, M., 2013
- Global science and national sovereignty : studies in historical sociology of science, , 2009
- Handbook of historical sociology, , 2003
- Max Weber's comparative-historical sociology, Kalberg, S., 1994
- New frontiers in comparative sociology, , 2009
- Qualitative networks : mixed methods in sociological research, Bellotti, E., 2015
- The Oxford handbook of political science, , 2011
Recommended Additional Bibliography
- A history of sociological research methods in America, 1920-1960, Platt, J., 1996
- Realism and racism : concepts of race in sociological research, Carter, B., 2000
- The rise of organised brutality : a historical sociology of violence, Malesevic, S., 2017
- The wealth of states : a comparative sociology of international economic and political change, Hobson, J. M., 1997
- Time for retirement : comparative studies of early exit from the labor force, , 1991
- Urban outcasts : a comparative sociology of advanced marginality, Wacquant, L., 2008
- Women, power and policy : comparative studies of childcare, Marchbank, J., 2000