ASOA15100U Cancelled Introduction to Experiments in Sociology

Volume 2020/2021
Education

Course package

Welfare, inequality and mobility

Knowledge, organisation and policy

Culture, lifestyle and everyday life

Content

The experimental method is an extremely powerful approach to investigate theorized mechanisms and causal relations. While the controlled laboratory experiment that is commonly associated with the method in the popular imagination is often not available to sociologist, there are a number of related experimental approaches that are commonly used in sociological research and that, in fact, pervade our daily lives.

 

This course introduces students to the experimental method, its strengths and weaknesses, and applications in sociological research. We will review methodological developments that freed the method from the laboratory setting, such as survey experiments, field experiments, and audit studies. Using peer-reviewed publications, students will gain an understanding of how these alternative experimental approaches can be used to answer sociological questions and how they have contributed to knowledge in all subfields of the discipline.

 

After successful participation, students will be comfortable reading current sociological research using experimental methods, evaluate its strengths and weaknesses, and be able to identify potential research questions in sociology that can be answered using the experiments.

Learning Outcome

Knowledge

  • Successful participation in the class will prepare students to account for the benefit of applying experimental approaches to study sociological questions
  • Additionally, students will be able to identify experimental approaches suited to answer specific sociological problems

 

Skills

  • Students will gain facility with working with understanding experimental designs specifically as they relate to social science applications
  • Students will be able to evaluate and put into perspective the strengths and weaknesses of given experimental approaches in contrast to other potential research approaches

 

Competencies

  • Students will be able to plan sociological studies that leverage the potential of the experimental methods
  • Students will be able to specialize in cutting-edge experimental methodologies

Readings are comprised primarily of peer-reviewed journal articles. All other materials will be provided through Absalon.

Students should have a general understanding of sociological theory and be aware of the different subfields constituting the discipline.
- Lectures
- Class discussions
- Student presentations
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Lectures
  • 28
  • Preparation
  • 70
  • Exercises
  • 28
  • Exam
  • 80
  • Total
  • 206
Continuous feedback during the course of the semester
Feedback by final exam (In addition to the grade)

Structured feedback to student presentations

Credit
7,5 ECTS
Type of assessment
Portfolio
A portfolio assignment is defined as a series of short assignments that address one or more set questions. The assignments are written as the course progresses. All of the assignments are submitted together for assessment at the end of the course. Portfolio assignments can be written individually or in small groups (max. four students).
The portfolio assignments must be no longer than 10 pages. For group assignments, an extra 5 pages is added per additional student.
Exam registration requirements

Sociology students must be enrolled under either BSc Curriculum 2016 or MSc Curriculum 2015 to take this exam.

Credit students can be at either bachelor or master level.

Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
No external censorship
Exam period

Submission dates and time will be available at KUnet, www.kunet.dk.
Exchange students and Danish full degree guest students please see the homepage of Sociology;
www.soc.ku.dk under Education --> Exams

Re-exam

Individual/group.

A written take-home essay: an assignment that addresses one or more NEW questions. The exam is based on the course syllabus, i.e. the literature set by the teacher. The written take-home essay must be no longer than 10 pages. For group assignments, an extra 5 pages is added per additional student. Further details for this exam form can be found in the Curriculum and in the General Guide to Examinations at KUnet.

Criteria for exam assesment

See learning outcome