Overview

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

Introduces students to labour research through methodology and research methods for social change. By exploring what methodology is, the methods common in labour research, and understandings of social justice, students gain experience of quantitative and qualitative approaches, including survey research. Focuses on using and interpreting quantitative data and statistics for social justice and social change. Quantitative.

COURSE DETAILS:

This course is designed to introduce students to the logic of social inquiry. The weekly classes and tutorials are geared toward giving the students a basic understanding of social research, and in the process, preparing them to write their own research proposals.

The classes before the midterm focus on the very basic issues of social research, such as identifying puzzles, formulating research questions, and reviewing the literature for the answers scholars have so far offered. The classes after the midterm, however, more specifically inquire into the nature of qualitative and quantitative research.

When teaching qualitative and quantitative research methods, the course acknowledges the philosophies that underlie them on the one hand, and demonstrates how they may very well be complementary to one another in producing knowledge on the other. The emphasis on mixed-method research thus helps the students utilize the particular strengths of both sets of procedures, while gaining a more holistic perspective.

COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:

By the end of the course, students will have gained insights into:

• the logic of social inquiry,
• explanatory traditions in social sciences,
• major methodological approaches in social sciences,
• qualitative and quantitative data collection methods,
• in-depth knowledge of methods specific to their research project,
• the ethical and political dimensions of political science research, and
• the issues involved in writing up research reports and theses.

Further, students will be able to:

• demonstrate analytical skills in evaluating research design and practice,
• create their own research questions, and research designs,
• demonstrate the theoretical underpinnings of their chosen approach, and
• use library and electronic resources, and locate appropriate materials.

Grading

Materials

REQUIRED READING: