ASOB16018U Applied Case-Study Analysis

Volume 2019/2020
Education

Mandatory course at 6th semester at BSc Sociology.

The course is not open for either exchange or credit students
 

Please note!
This course will be taught in English and the exam will be in English

Content

The objective of the course is for students to apply their sociological knowledge and research methods skills to a real-life social issue organisations in Denmark are currently grappling with.  Through this applied case study research – students will:
 

  • directly engage with external partners and support them in thinking about the issues they are working on
     
  • gain a better understanding of how organisations function and approach the research and development of solutions to real-life social issues
     
  • develop a stronger awareness of the myriad ways sociological ways of thinking and researching can be ‘put to work’ in real-life work situations
     
  • think further about the world of work they are going to enter upon graduation and develop a keener sense of how they want to make a contribution through employment.

 

 

Learning Outcome
Knowledge:
 
  • reviewed various approaches to studying a real-life case and ascertained their potentialities and limitations in answering the set question
     
  • considered the ways differently positioned organisations approach researching and developing solutions/initiatives to a real-life issue – the constraints and possibilities they must work within and what impact this has on how they can ask a question, how they can study an issue and the kinds of ‘solutions’ they can propose
     
  • read some literature on the future world of work and through hearing outside speakers, students will be able to link what the literature argues to the real-life experiences of professionals
     
 

Skills:
 

  • able to articulate why a sociological approach to understanding, researching and developing solutions to real life cases can be so generative
     
  • worked collaboratively within a group and across groups to research and develop ideas for tackling a large social issue collectively
     
  • undertaken research on a real-life case study – being able to justify the approach taken
     
  • written a summary of their case study findings suited to the template developed between the course leader and external partner
     
  • able to assess information given by the external partner on the case study they are involved in, and determine what further information is needed
     
  • present the findings of their case study research to a larger audience – verbally and in writing
 
 

Competencies:
 

  • work collaboratively within a group to develop a research timeline that fits the requirements of the task, while also coordinating across groups to ensure the various elements of the larger case study can be brought together in time
     
  • interpret and translate research findings into an accessible format that fits the template requirements agreed with the external partner.
Literature

Students will engage with literature on ‘doing case study research’, sustainability’ or ’food consumption’ (depending on the specific focus of their case study research), and ‘the world of work’.

Knowledge of different sociological theories and research methods.
The module will consist of short lectures, inter-active discussion, hearing outside speakers and engaging them in discussion, group work on the allocated research case study.
Although elements of the course will be delivered in English by the course leader, the external speakers, research conducted by the students, final research reports produced, the individually-written reflective piece, and most interactions during sessions will be in Danish.
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Course Preparation
  • 100
  • Lectures
  • 42
  • Preparation
  • 64
  • Total
  • 206
Continuous feedback during the course of the semester
  • The course convener will work closely with the students to ascertain their experience of the course, further areas they require support on.
     
  • Students will work in groups collaboratively to conceptualise, implement, analysis and write up their case study research.
Credit
7,5 ECTS
Type of assessment
Course participation under invigilation
Active participation can consist of regular oral presentations, short written assignments among other things.

Active participation on this course is Consisting of three elements:

1. Being a member of an allocated research group and contributing to the work. Progress with the allocated research will be monitored by the course leader. If all members of the group are not in attendance during the sessions where groupwork is occurring, or clear tasks have not been taken on by each group member – ‘active participation’ will not be deemed to have been met by such an individual.

2. As a group, students will need to produce a presentation and possibly short document outlining their findings. Involvement in the production and presentation of these outputs is required. The findings will need to be based on empirical data and analysed using appropriate sociological concepts that can be found in related literatures. Students’ application of appropriate concepts will be assessed based on their relevance, and their ability to offer the external partner more specific understandings of the real-life problem they are grappling with, as well as their strength in suggesting potential solutions to these.

3. As individuals, students will need to produce a final document (max. 2 pages) where they reflect on how their applied sociological knowledge and skills (professionalism) can be articulated as valuable on the labour market, and the future career trajectory they intend to pursue post-graduation. This will need to be written in a manner that is persuasive and evidenced through examples – as if submitting the document to a potential employer.
Exam registration requirements
  1. Sociology students must be enrolled under BSc Curriculum 2016 to take this exam.
Marking scale
passed/not passed
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; http://www.soc.ku.dk/english/education/exams/ and http://www.soc.ku.dk/uddannelser/meritstuderende/eksamen/

 

Re-exam

Essay paper.
Pass or fail.

Criteria for exam assesment

Please see the learning outcome