ASOK15225U How to theorize ? : on the art and role of theorizing in the social science
Elective course (MSc Curriculum 2015)
Course package (MSc 2015):
Welfare, inequality and mobility
Knowledge, organisation and politics
Culture, lifestyle and everyday life
Education in the social science is most often divided into courses in theory, on the one hand, and courses in methods (quantitative and qualitative), on the other. This distinction is usually treated as self-evident. We see it in every aspect of the social science, e.g. conferences, networks, working groups, textbooks and journals. If we take a closer look at this business as usual a surprising fact comes to the surface. Method in this distinction explicates how to conduct empirical research in the right way. Theory, on the other hand, presents and discuss the results of theorizing. There are of course also more specific courses (conferences, journals, textbooks) about results in different subfields of research, but there are almost no courses (etc.) about how to theorize. Theorizing in social science is a practice, i.e. a “know-how” rather than a “know-that”. Theorizing is learnt by doing and by being more or less intuitively influenced by “the intellectual styles” of role models (“the master thinkers”) and their paradigmatic works, rather than by following some explicit rules of procedure. In this course we will fil out this lack. We will investigate the “method”, “craft” or “art” of theorizing. An important part of that task will be to investigate the meaning and role of theory in social science. Few social scientists deny the significance of theorizing, but how do we do it?
KNOWLEDGE
The student must in a first step be able to understand what
distinguishes different conceptions of theory and the role theory
plays in different significant conceptions of social science (with
a focus on sociology). In the next step the student must be able to
relate these conceptions to different ways of theorizing and
compare and critically discuss these ways.
SKILLS
The course provides students with the practical skill of theorizing
and to use this skill in research and in investigations of the
social world.
COMPETENCES
To plan and perform research and investigations of the social world in which theorizing plays a crucial role. The student will be able to choose and apply the right way of theorizing in different kinds of research.
There is no main book. Instead chapters and articles will be uploaded on Absalon
- Category
- Hours
- Lectures
- 28
- Preparation
- 118
- Exam
- 60
- Total
- 206
Registration deadline for courses is:
June 1st for Autumn semester
December 1st for Spring semester.
When registered you will be signed up for exam.
Sociology- and anthropology Student:
Registration online at KUnet
International exchange students:
You must sign up by filling in an application form. Find it at
www.sociology.ku.dk.
Credit students:
Find more information at
www.soc.ku.dk under Uddannelse
-> Meritstuderende.
- Credit
- 7,5 ECTS
- Type of assessment
- Written assignment, -Individual/group (max 4 students).
Free written take-home essays are assignments for which students define and formulate a problem within the parameters of the course and based on an individual exam syllabus. The free 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. - Exam registration requirements
You need to be signed up for the course to attend the exam
- Aid
- All aids allowed
- Marking scale
- 7-point grading scale
- Censorship form
- No external censorship
- Exam period
Find more information on your study page at KUnet.
Exchange students and Danish full degree guest students please see the homepage of Sociology;
www.sociology.ku.dk under Education --> Exams- Re-exam
Written take-home essay with NEW formulated questions
Individual/group.
An elective subject is usually offered regularly, but we cannot guarantee it will be offered more than once. You should therefore be aware that the exam for this course is only offered 3 terms after the course has ended.
Criteria for exam assesment
Please see the learning outcome.
Course information
- Language
- English
- Course code
- ASOK15225U
- Credit
- 7,5 ECTS
- Level
- BachelorBachelor choice,Full Degree Master,Full Degree Master choice
- Duration
- 1 semester
- Placement
- Autumn
- Schedule
- See timetable
- Course capacity
- Vejl. 40 personer
- Study board
- Department of Sociology, Study Council
Contracting department
- Department of Sociology
Contracting faculty
- Faculty of Social Sciences
Course Coordinators
- Mikael Carleheden (2-5b514e817d713c79833c7279)
Lecturers
Mikael Carleheden, e-mail: mc@soc.ku.dk