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Methodology and Research Methods of Political Science and Economics

2019/2020
Учебный год
ENG
Обучение ведется на английском языке
4
Кредиты
Статус:
Курс по выбору
Когда читается:
1-й курс, 2, 3 модуль

Преподаватели


Фомин Иван Владленович

Course Syllabus

Abstract

The course is designed to introduce students to the philosophy and methodology of research in social sciences and show them how specialization and integration of different methodologies work across social sciences and beyond. Besides, the students get familiarized with main methods of qualitative, quantitative, and ‘mixed’ research and learn about challenges associated with their application. The course outlines key approaches to (neo)institutionalism(s) and constructivist traditions and main challenges connected to them.
Learning Objectives

Learning Objectives

  • shaping students’ critical thinking in the face of multiple epistemological strategies, working methodologies and theoretical approaches practiced in contemporary social sciences
  • making students understand their limitations and capabilities
  • helping students to develop skills necessary for choosing analytical tools adequate to specific research areas and tasks, for designing research programs.
Expected Learning Outcomes

Expected Learning Outcomes

  • knows the key principles of the most common methodologies and research methods of political science and economics
  • designs methodological frameworks for research projects in political science and economics
  • critically evaluates research projects in political science and economics
Course Contents

Course Contents

  • Topic 1. Introduction to the philosophy and methodology of science
    Types of research enterprise. Theoretical, ideographic (descriptive, historical, case-study etc.) and empirical (comparative, comparative case study, experimental etc.) research, model-building etc. Measurement, comparison, interpretation. Epistemological assumptions of social sciences. Specific features of social research. The role of concepts, theories and approaches in social research. Main epistemological divides in social sciences.
  • Topic 2. Methodological specialization and integration
    Transfer of methods and practices of research across disciplinary divides. Transdisciplinary methodologies. Research methods and cognitive capacities. Challenges of transdisciplinarity Inter-disciplinarity, cross-disciplinarity, trans-disciplinarity. Methodologies of transdisciplinarity Transdisciplinarity in teaching, research and life.
  • Topic 3. Challenges of Quantitate Research
    Measurement as a cognitive capacity. Measurement as a tool of social sciences. Measurement as an instrument of description and explication.
  • Topic 4. Challenges of Qualitative Research
    Paradigmatic controversies in qualitative research. Analysis and interpretation in qualitative research. Signs, codes, texts and discourses in qualitative research.
  • Topic 5. Challenges of 'Mixed' Research
    Deficiencies of dichotomizing methods into quantitative and qualitative. Varying interpretations and dominant traditions of mixed methods approach. Ontological and epistemological reasons for mixing research methods and techniques. Applications of mixed methods.
  • Topic 6. Challenges of (neo)institutionalism(s)
    'Calculus approach' and 'cultural approach' to institutions. Subject matter and methodology of institutionalisms. Political morphology.
  • Topic 7. Challenges of constructivist traditions
    Origins and foundations of constructivist traditions. Narratives and performatives in social reality. Multimodality of social interactions.
Assessment Elements

Assessment Elements

  • non-blocking Group Work & Presentation
  • non-blocking Participation and Discussions in Class
Interim Assessment

Interim Assessment

  • Interim assessment (3 module)
    0.7 * Group Work & Presentation + 0.3 * Participation and Discussions in Class
Bibliography

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

  • Approaches and methodologies in the social sciences : a pluralist perspective / ed. by Donatella della Porta . (2008). Cambridge [u.a.]: Cambridge University Press. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edswao&AN=edswao.283822104
  • Hall, P., & Taylor, R. (1996). Political Science and the Three New Institutionalisms. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsbas&AN=edsbas.45428ED0
  • Keating, M., & Della Porta, D. (2008). Approaches and Methodologies in the Social Sciences : A Pluralist Perspective. Cambridge , New York: Cambridge University Press. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=304674
  • Mahoney, J., & Goertz, G. (2006). A Tale of Two Cultures: Contrasting Quantitative and Qualitative Research. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsbas&AN=edsbas.18538E6D
  • Mäki, U., & ScienceDirect (Online service). (2012). Philosophy of Economics. Amsterdam: North Holland. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=249147
  • Searle, J. R. (2005). What is an institution? Journal of Institutional Economics, (01), 1. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsrep&AN=edsrep.a.cup.jinsec.v1y2005i01p1.22.00
  • Taagepera, R. (2018). Science walks on two legs, but social sciences try to hop on one. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsbas&AN=edsbas.688BE5ED
  • The Oxford handbook of political methodology / ed. by Janet Box-Steffensmeier . (2008). Oxford [u.a.]: Oxford Univ. Press. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edswao&AN=edswao.253060168

Recommended Additional Bibliography

  • King, G. (DE-588)135604311, (DE-576)166299405. (1994). Designing social inquiry : scientific inference in qualitative research / Gary King; Robert O. Keohane; Sidney Verba. Princeton, NJ: Princeton Univ. Press. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edswao&AN=edswao.039730549
  • Klingemann, H.-D., & Goodin, R. E. (1996). A New Handbook of Political Science. Oxford: OUP Oxford. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=273524