This course is a part of HF's PhD week.
Humanities research sometimes concerns itself with many of the same types of questions and use the same sources as social sciences. For some dealing with society and politics, the toolbox is to some extent also shared, especially where social scientists take a pluralist approach to their conduct of inquiry. Yet, there are may be subtle differences between the two when it comes to the assumptions about generalisation and case selection. Nowhere is this more clear than where it comes to nomothetic generalisation – the search for law-like co-variation between variables – which plays a major part of social science methodologies. Whereas both nomothetic generalisation is something of a baseline that social scientists often have to deal with, either through embracing it or distancing themselves from it, humanities scholars seldom consider such generalisation equally relevant. When humanities scholars ‘borrow’ from social science methods, it is important to remember that methods often come with a strong methodological anchoring in specific epistemological wagers. Humanities scholars who use social science tools need to maintain a discerning attitude to their goals and uses. To be able to discern, they need to understand the choices that are available to them and the assumptions and implications of the methodologies they choose. Such choices have implications for the kind of knowledge they generate, and both being clear about the implications, and perhaps choosing tools that are closest to their own, pre-existing concerns, is crucial for maintaining their research programmes.
This is a 1 ECTS course.
Language
The course language is English.
Registration
The course is full.
Course convenors
Contact person: Einar Wigen, einar.wigen@ikos.uio.no
IKOS, responsible department
Prerequisites
All participants are required to write a 1,000 word reflection paper where they relate their project to one or more of the curriculum contributions. The reflection papers will be presented and discussed during the workshop. Please send your reflection paper to einar.wigen@ikos.uio.no no later than Friday 19. May.
Program
The program is divided into two major parts. Before lunch, there will be lecture by Professor Einar Wigen, with ample room for discussion. The time slots after lunch are set aside for group work based on the reflection papers.
Wednesday 9-16
09:00-10:30 Introduction. Lecture by Professor Einar Wigen
10:30-10:45 15 minutes break
10:45-12:00 Lecture continue
12:00-13:00 Lunch
13:00-14:00 Group work: Discussion of reflection papers
14:00-14:15 Break
14:15-15:00 Group work: Discussion of reflection papers
15:00-15:15 Break
15:15-16:00 Plenary discussion of papers
Course curriculum
- Abbott, Andrew (2001) Chaos of Disciplines. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, Chapter 1: Chaos of Disciplines, pp. 3-33.
- Jackson, Patrick T. (2010) The Conduct of Inquiry in International Relations: Philosophy of Science and Its Implications for the Study of World Politics London: Routledge, chapters 1 “Playing with Fire”, 2 “Philosophical Wagers” and 7 “A Pluralist Conception of IR”.
- Shotter, John. Cultural Politics of Everyday Life: Social Constructionism, Rhetoric and Knowing of the Third Kind. Buckingham: Open University Press, 1993. Chapters 1, 2 and 7.
- Swidler, Ann. Talk of Love: How Culture Matters. Chicago, Ill.: The University Of Chicago Press, 2003, chapters 1, 4 and 9.
- Weber, Max Max “Objectivity in the Social Sciences”, in Weber on the Methodology of the Social Sciences, pp. 49-110.
- Wittgenstein, Ludwig Philosophical Investigations, §65-71
Optional
- Jackson, Patrick T. (2010) The Conduct of Inquiry in International Relations: Philosophy of Science and Its Implications for the Study of World Politics London: Routledge, chapters 3-6.