Learning objectives |
On successful completion of this
course, the student should have acquired basic knowledge about some
of the main ideas of science which have informed and still inform
the social science
More specifically, the student should be able to:
- give an account of the basic ontological and epistemological
assumptions within the different philosophy of knowledge traditions
presented in the syllabus,
- locate the theoretical positions and key concepts in a broader
science-philosophical context,
- identify central similarities and differences between the main
ideas within the different philosophy of knowledge traditions
presented in the syllabus, and
- integrate an understanding of the different philosophy of
knowledge traditions with the methodological considerations in the
first year project
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Course prerequisites |
The courses 2IOS, 2PS, 2IRM, and 2QNM
have one intergrated exam. The exam is 30 ECTS. You can only
participate in 2PS if you also register for the other courses:
2IOS, 2IRM, and 2QNM. |
Examination |
First year
project on organisational sociology and research
design:
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Examination form |
Oral exam based on written product
In order to participate in the oral exam, the written product
must be handed in before the oral exam; by the set deadline. The
grade is based on an overall assessment of the written product and
the individual oral performance. |
Individual or group exam |
Individual |
Size of written product |
Max. 30 pages |
Assignment type |
Project |
Duration |
Written product to be submitted on specified date and
time.
30 min. per student, including examiners' discussion of grade,
and informing plus explaining the grade |
Preparation time |
No preparation |
Grading scale |
7-step scale |
Examiner(s) |
Internal examiner and external examiner |
Exam period |
Summer Term |
Make-up exam/re-exam |
Same examination form as the ordinary exam
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Description of the exam
procedure
See the guidelines at e-campus
Learning objectives for the exam
The student should demonstrate ability to:
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Course content and
structure |
Course Content. Philosophy of
knowledge is the backbone in all scholarly work because it is
concerned with the conditions for saying that some statements are
more correct than others. In other words, it provides the basis for
calling some knowledge ‘scientific’, ‘true’, or ‘correct’ because
philosophy of knowledge provides the fundamental rules by which to
judge and evaluate so-called knowledge claims. Hence, by taking
this course, students will learn how different ideas about the
world and about knowledge lead to different ways of understanding
what true knowledge are. This allows students to establish
scholarly arguments themselves, as well as, improving their ability
to understand and criticise other knowledge claims. This is not
only relevant in academic work but also in knowledge intensive work
contexts where different kinds of statements have to be dissected.
The course will demonstrate how different perceptions of the world
have consequences for the way we describe and explain it. The
course will show how the different perspectives (universal,
contextual and situational) are informed by meta- theoretical
assumptions as well as different understanding of what science is.
While the course should be seen in relation to all the courses on
the programme, the exam is integrated with ‘Introduction to
Organisational Sociology’, ‘Introduction to Research Methods’, and
‘Quantitative Methods I’. During the workshops we will discuss
themes that are related to these other courses but the overall
thrust of the course is aimed towards a general introduction to the
philosophy of social science. Aim of the course The aim of this
course is to provide the student with (1) a general insight into
the different conceptions of science which have informed social
sciences to this day; (2) knowledge about different perceptions of
the society and the individual, rooted in the ontological and
epistemological assumptions of different philosophy of knowledge
traditions. The course is an introduction to philosophy of
knowledge and will provide both knowledge as well as tools to
identify the general paradigms which have informed the social
science. As such, it relates to the other courses in the programme
in such a way that it provides the meta-theories for the other
courses as well as for the first-year project. Students will not
only engage with meta-theoritical assumptions but also with how to
identify these assumptions. |
Teaching methods |
We have 10 Lectures/ workshops which
will be based on a combination of lectures, group work and
classroom discussions as well as integrate case-teaching. It is
expected that students will participate actively in classes and
contribute during the lectures. A heavy workload is to be expected
both in regard to difficult theoretical readings and group work
between classes and as minor written group
assignments/essays/casework to present and discuss in
class. |