Social Science

Course Structure

1. Social Science Analysis: The course provides students with a thorough understanding of the links between social theory and methods. The course gives a thorough introduction to research design and various forms of social analyses. The course provides students with the skills necessary to plan and to carry out an independent research project and disseminate its outcome.
2. Quantitative and qualitative methods I: The course starts with an introduction to practical methodological and research design. Then the course follows takes up qualitative methods trough which students work with interviews and the production, analysis and interpretation of interview data. Some of these interpretations use a more quantitative approach where the students work with the construction of questionnaires, the gathering of own survey-data and the transformation of these into statistics in the computer laboratory. The students will here be trained in entering their own data into statistical computer packages and the use of these for analysis and interpretation of the findings. Probability theory and estimating statistical inference will be taught, and used as part of the analysis. Students will also learn how to make use of the most common techniques in analyzing qualitative data. Because the course uses practical exercises with close supervision, the student is advised to participate in all teaching sessions in this course. Individual supervision of students who do not follow the scheduled teaching sessions will not be offered