Theory and Method in the Social Sciences

General characterization

Prerequisites

Available soon

Bibliography

Boudon, Raymond. [s.d.]. Os Métodos em Sociologia. Lisboa: Edições Rolim.

Durkheim, Émile. 2001 [1895]. As Regras do Método Sociológico. Lisboa: Presença.

Gilbert, Nigel, org. 2008. Researching Social Life. Londres: Sage.

Popper, Karl. 1989. Para um Mundo Melhor. Lisboa: Fragmentos.

Quivy, Raymond, e Luc Van Campenhoudt. 2016. Manual de Investigação em Ciências Sociais. Lisboa: Gradiva

Silva, Augusto Santos, e José Madureira Pinto, org. 1990. Metodologia das Ciências Sociais. Porto: Edições Afrontamento.

Weber, Max. 1997 [1922]. Conceitos Sociológicos Fundamentais. Lisboa: Edições 70.

Teaching method

Evaluation method

Evaluation method:

- Two in person written tests, without consultation (60%);

­- Individual written exercises in practical classes, with consultation, for summative assessment (40%).

Subject matter

1. "To treat social facts as things"?: the scientific knowledge of social phenomena

1.1. Rupture, problematization and constructio of knowledge

1.2. Methodical doubt: falsifiability, demonstration and verification

1.3. Objectivation: explicit method and instrsubjective criticism

1.4. The goals of knowledge: to understand and to explain

1.5. Problems, theories and hypotheses

2. Research strategies and outlooks

2.1. Inductive and deductive

2.2. Intensive and extensive

2.3. Qualitative and quantitative

2.4. Understanding and explanatory

2.5. Basic, applied, and participatory

3. Theory, method, and research

3.1. The relatioships between theoretical and empirical constructions

3.1.1. Operacionalization and conceptualization: the construction of concepts and variables

3.1.2. Research planning as operacionalization

3.2. Typical phases in research and planning

3.2.1. Bibliographical research

3.2.2. Exploratory research and its deepening

3.2.3. Hypotheses-testing research

Programs

Programs where the course is taught: