ASOK22200U The art of theorizing in the social sciences
MA elective course
From Autumn 2022 the course is also offered to students at:
- Master Programmes in Social Data Science
- Master Programmes in Anthropology
- Master Programmes in Psycology
Enrolled students can register the course directly through the
Selfservice a KUnet without a preapproval.
Please contact the study administration at each programme for
questions regarding registration.
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?
On successful completion of the course, the student is able to:
KNOWLEDGE
- account for different conceptions of theory and the role theory plays in different significant conceptions of social science (with a focus on sociology)
- to relate these conceptions to different ways of theorizing and
compare and critically discuss these ways
SKILLS
- theorize 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 to choose and apply the adequate way of theorizing in different kinds of research
The teacher uploads the full curriculum to Absalon.
The types of instruction are described here, e.g. lectures, class instruction, exercises and excursions.
Lectures in the first hour of each session. In the second hour, the students make oral presentations, submit one or more
short compulsory assignments, e.g. essays, papers, portfolio assignments, or act as opponent for
other students’ written products during the course
- Category
- Hours
- Lectures
- 28
- Preparation
- 140
- Project work
- 38
- Total
- 206
Continuous feedback by commenting the activities during the second hourContinuous feedback by commenting the activities during the second hour.
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 Student (from KU):
Registration online at KUnet
Anthropology Students (from KU):
You must register as credit student and have a pre-approval.
Find more information at
www.soc.ku.dk under Uddannelse
-> Meritstuderende.
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 examination, -
- Type of assessment details
- Individual/group.
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 registered for the course.You need to be registered for the course.
- 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
If the re-exam is taken during the ordinary exam period: see ordinary exam form
If the re-exam is taken during the re-exam period:
Individual/group. A written take-home essay is defined as 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.
Abovementioned applies to course registrations in Spring 2023 and onward.
If you have been registered for the course before Spring 2023, please write to the study administration: soc-studieadm@soc.ku.dk.
NOTE!
An elective subject is usually offered regularly, but we cannot guarantee it will be offered more than once. Please be aware that the exam for this course is only offered 3 terms after the course has ended.
Criteria for exam assesment
Please see learning outcome
Course information
- Language
- English
- Course code
- ASOK22200U
- Credit
- 7,5 ECTS
- Level
- Full Degree MasterFull Degree Master choice
- Duration
- 1 semester
- Placement
- Autumn
- Schedule
- See timetable.
- Course capacity
- Vejl 40 personer.
Study board
- Department of Sociology, Study Council
Contracting departments
- Department of Sociology
- Department of Anthropology
- Department of Psychology
- Social Data Science
Contracting faculty
- Faculty of Social Sciences
Course Coordinators
- Mikael Carleheden (2-4f4542757165306d7730666d)
Lecturers
Mikael Carleheden, e-mail: MC@soc.ku.dk