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PHIL323 Philosophy of Social Science

Updated: 04 April 2013
Credit Points 6
Offering
Responsible Campus Teaching Period Mode of Study
Armidale Trimester 2 Off Campus
Armidale Trimester 2 On Campus
Intensive School(s)
Start Finish Attendance Notes
21 August 2013 23 August 2013 Non-Mandatory Subject to a minimum of 10 students attending.
Supervised Exam There is a UNE Supervised Examination held at the end of the teaching period in which you are enrolled.
Pre-requisites any 24cp or 6cp in PHIL or HUMS101 or IDIG110 or candidature in a postgraduate award
Co-requisites None
Restrictions EnqSocSc223 or EnqSocSc224 or PHSS223 or PHSS323
Notes None
Combined Units None
Coordinator(s) Arcady Blinov (ablinov@une.edu.au)
Unit Description

This unit addresses fundamental issues of methodology, epistemology, and value in the social sciences, drawing particularly on examples from sociology and psychology. The unit develops skills in critical thinking about social scientific practices, and examines the viability of major social scientific methodologies. It develops skills in ethical enquiry into social scientific practices by means of selected case studies. The unit aims to teach students of the social sciences how to reflect on the epistemological rigour and ethical probity of the social scientific practices into which they are being inducted.
Materials Textbook information will be displayed approximately 8 weeks prior to the commencement of the teaching period. Please note that textbook requirements may vary from one teaching period to the next.
Disclaimer Unit information may be subject to change prior to commencement of the teaching period.
Assessment Assessment information will be published prior to commencement of the teaching period.
Learning Outcomes (LO) Upon completion of this unit, students will be able to:
  1. reason critically and efficiently about some fundamental issues of methodology and epistemology of the social sciences;
  2. evaluate in a philosophically grounded way the viability of major social scientific methodologes; and
  3. distinguish between the central forms of explanation in social science and know how to use some of those forms efficiently in their own social scientific practice.

Graduate Attributes (GA)
Attribute Taught Assessed Practised
1 Knowledge of a Discipline
Knowledge of the philosophy discipline will be taught through unit notes, readings and assessment tasks. Knowledge is assessed in all assessment tasks. 		True True
2 Communication Skills
Students will be taught communication skills through written feedback on the essay for the unit. Students will learn valuable communication skills through participation in tutorials and online discussion postings. Students will be assessed on the style of writing, clarity of writing, expression and development of ideas, and referencing. Students will practise their communication skills through completing the assessment tasks. 		True True True
3 Global Perspectives
Assuming that ?global perspective?, among others, means the capacity to take into account multiple partial perspectives and integrate them, when possible, into a broader, universal or close to universal, view, students will be taught the nature and significance of partial theoretical perspectives in social science in the context of the science?s quest for universality. Students will be assessed on their understanding of the issues of perspectivism and universalism in the social sciences. 		True True
4 Information Literacy
Students will be directed to relevant literature and taught how to assess its validity. Students will be assessed on their ability to identify and critically analyse the relevant literature. 		True True
5 Life-Long Learning
By completing the assessments, students will be provided with the necessary life-long skills to be able to research, write and discuss social issues. These skills can be transferred to any discipline, and will be useful in any research positions. These attributes will be assessed in all of the assessments (written skills; analytical skills). 		True True
6 Problem Solving
Students will be assessed on their ability to deconstruct the questions and to integrate theory and literature into their answer. Students will need to work out how to address the question and where to find the most appropriate material to answer the question. 		True
7 Social Responsibility
Students will be taught about their professional responsibilities as a researcher to provide balanced and accurate research. In addition, students will be taught that they have a social responsibility to question and challenge some 'facts'. This will be assessed and taught through their responses to the essay, exam questions and discussions in tutorials or online postings. 		True True True
8 Team Work
Students will practise their teamwork skills through participating in tutorials, or online discussion postings. They will be required to discuss the weekly topics with their fellow students in a thoughtful and respectful manner. 		True
   

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