PIM54-Philosophical Issues in the Social Sciences

Module Provider: Graduate Institute for Politics and International Studies
Number of credits: 20 [10 ECTS credits]
Level:7
Terms in which taught: Autumn / Spring term module
Pre-requisites:
Non-modular pre-requisites:
Co-requisites:
Modules excluded:
Current from: 2021/2

Module Convenor: Prof Alan Cromartie
Email: a.d.t.cromartie@reading.ac.uk

Type of module:

Summary module description:

A research training module for doctoral students and MA students equipping themselves for future doctoral study.Ìý This module provides training on research design alongside theoretical and philosophical perspectives on research in the social sciences.

Aims:

1. To deepen each student's awareness of the basic philosophical and methodological issues encountered in the study of human activity.


2. To extend each student's familiarity with the major approaches to theory and analysis within politics and international relations.


3. To heighten each student's sense of the inherent difficulties and dilemmas, including analytical, ethical and epistemological, encountered in any advanced study of politics and international relations.


4. To equip each student with a basic understanding of the sources, uses and difficulties of the quantitative and qualitative techniques that might be employed in the study of a range of issues in politics and international relations.


5. To enable students to engage with a key philosophical and theoretical issues in the development, criticism and defence of research methods for a range of subject matter within politics and international relations.

Assessable learning outcomes:

• Students will learn important philosophical perspectives underlying research in the social sciences, including research traditions such as positivism, interpretivism, and critical theory.


• Students will develop skills to detect and address philosophical problems arising in the course of their research, including ethical, conceptual and epistemological issues.


• Students will learn key skills in research design in the light of philosophical issues unde rlying social science.


• Students will learn philosophical perspectives that contribute to the development, critical assessment, and defence of research questions and methods in relation to a range of subject matter within the social sciences.


• Students will gain knowledge of the presuppositions, possibilities and limitations of social science research more generally.

Additional outcomes:

• Practice and confidence in the oral presentation of philosophical and theoretical ideas on methodologies used in social science, including making effective use of visual material such as handouts and slides.


• Practice in employing such philosophical and theoretical ideas in oral discussion.


• To participate constructively and critically in discussions of theoretical material in relation to a range of research in social science.


• To effectively write argumentative, evidenced essays with full and correct referencing.

Outline content:

This module introduces students to the consideration of methodological, philosophical and ethical problems encountered in graduate research in the social sciences. Students will study and discuss the difficulties involved in characterising the nature of social-scientific research and the status of the knowledge it produces, as well as a range of research traditions. It will also cover specific issues such as principles of research design, reflexivity, causation, conceptual and normative analy sis.

Brief description of teaching and learning methods:

The class will be taught in 10 two-hour seminars, which will begin with brief student presentations. There may be mini-lectures when appropriate, but stress will be placed on developing the skills of philosophical discussion. Students will be encouraged to use examples drawn from their own field (and from their own research, where possible) in the essay, presentations and class debates.

Summative assessment- Examinations:

Summative assessment- Coursework and in-class tests:

1. Critical analysis of a philosophical or methodological problem encountered in your own research (2,000 words) 40% of the mark..Ìý


2. Essay (2,000 words) worth 60%.Ìý

The subject matter of these pieces of work must be agreed with the module convenor.Ìý Ideally, seek the advice and agreement of your supervisor, to ensure that the focus of your Report or Essay is of substantial value to your wider research.

Formative assessment methods:

Oral presentation.

Penalties for late submission:

The below information applies to students on taught programmes except those on Postgraduate Flexible programmes. Penalties for late submission, and the associated procedures, which apply to Postgraduate Flexible programmes are specified in the policy 􀀓Penalties for late submission for Postgraduate Flexible programmes􀀔, which can be found here: