Module description
Contrary to natural sciences, politics is – like most social sciences - an essentially contested field. There is no overall consensus amongst researchers about what are the legitimate rules of conduct of research. In fact, there are fundamental debates in the field about the nature of ‘the political’ (ontology), what can be known about it (epistemology), and how one goes about acquiring such knowledge (methodology). The aim of this module is to introduce students to these debates. This is in order to enable students to make informed choices about methods and methodology, which are further explored in 5AAOB207 Research Methods and applied in their final years of study, most notably in their Dissertations.
The issues and debates will be explored through the study of some of the seminal texts in the fields. The module begins by exploring the debates about the nature of politics and what it means to study politics scientifically. These issues and debates are then explored in further depth with reference to a number of ontological themes that are central to politics: agency and structure; the ideational and the material; power; and, continuity and change. The final section of the module considers some of the leading theoretical traditions in political analysis, covering the range from rational choice theory to postmodernism.
Assessment details
10-minute presentation on group project (30%) and one 3,000-word research essay (70%)
Educational aims & objectives
To introduce students to debates about ontology and epistemology in political analysis in order to enable them to make informed choices about methods and methodology.
Learning outcomes
When students have completed this module, they should:
- Be aware of key analytical terminology in political analysis
- Know of key analytical perspectives in political analysis.
- Understand differences between analytical perspectives in political analysis they reveal themselves in debates over ontology, epistemology and methodology
- Demonstrate that they have begun to develop their own independent thought about debates over ontology, epistemology and methodology in political analysis.
Teaching pattern
Weekly 1 hour lecture and 1 hour seminar
Suggested reading list
- Colin Hay, Political Analysis: A Critical Introduction, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2002.
- David Marsh & Gerry Stoker, Theory and Methods in Political Science 3rd edition, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2010.