Epistemology and Methodology in the Social Sciences

Code:

SOCI011

Acronym:

EMCS

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Sociology

Instance: 2024/2025 - 1S

Active?	Yes
Responsible unit:	Department of Sociology
Course/CS Responsible:	Bachelor in Sociology

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
SOCI	61	SOCI - Study Plan	1	-	6	41	162

Teaching language

Portuguese

Objectives

To promote an epistemological and methodological discussion and critical analysis of social sciences and sociology.
To acquire knowledge about the nature of social reality and how to construct scientific knowledge.
To analyse critically the relationship between the knowledge process and theoretical and social frameworks.
To approach social sciences' critical and reflective role in the contemporary world.

Learning outcomes and competences

Ability to reflect on social sciences as knowledge processes and social practices.
Ability to approach the contributions of other social sciences and their disciplinary interaction, especially with sociology.
Ability to apply concepts and epistemological and methodological assumptions.
Ability to search, select and analyse information about social sciences, particularly in Portuguese society.
Ability to express oral and written knowledge about social sciences.

Working method

Presencial

Pre-requirements (prior knowledge) and co-requirements (common knowledge)

Does not apply.

Program

1. The unity of the social and the plurality of the social sciences
1.1.The specificity of the social and social sciences
1.2. The unit of the social: the total social phenomenon
1.3. The plurality of social sciences: factors of differentiation
1.4. Social sciences and disciplinary interaction
2. The process of scientific knowledge about social reality
2.1. Real object and scientific object. Scientific knowledge as abstraction and construction
2.2. Common sense and scientific knowledge
2.3. Epistemological obstacles and rupture
2.4. Scientific construction and validation. The role of theory in the research process
3. Social science as knowledge and social practice
3.1. Theoretical, social and institutional conditions for scientific practice
3.2. Social science and ideology: the scientific product as a theoretical and ideological product
4. The sociology of science
4.1. The critical rationalism of Karl Popper
4.2. Thomas Kuhn and the structure of scientific revolutions
5. Social sciences and new epistemologies

Mandatory literature

NUNES, Adérito Sedas (2001); Questões preliminares sobre as ciências sociais. 12.ª ed. Lisboa: Editorial Presença. ISBN 9789722313506.
NUNES, Adérito Sedas (D.L. 1984); Sobre o problema do conhecimento nas ciências sociais. 7.ª ed. Lisboa: Instituto de Ciências Sociais da Universidade de Lisboa.
SILVA, Augusto Santos; PINTO, José Madureira, orgs. (2014); Metodologia das ciências sociais. 16.ª ed. Porto: Edições Afrontamento. ISBN 978-972-36-0503-7.

Complementary Bibliography

BERTHELOT, Jean-Michel, dir. (2001); Épistémologie des sciences sociales. Paris: Presses Universitaires de France. ISBN 2-13-051485-5.
BOURDIEU, Pierre (2007); Ofício de sociólogo: metodologia da pesquisa na sociologia. 6.ª ed. Petrópolis: Vozes. ISBN 978-85-326-1775-0.
KUHN, Thomas (2000); A estrutura das revoluções científicas. São Paulo: Editora Perspectiva. ISBN 85-273-0111-3.
LAKATOS, Imre (1999); Falsificação e metodologia dos programas de investigação científica. Lisboa: Edições 70. ISBN 972-44-1008-0.
POPPER, Karl (2001); A vida é aprendizagem: epistemologia evolutiva e sociedade aberta. Lisboa: Edições 70. ISBN 972- 44-1024-2.
SANTOS, Boaventura Sousa (2018) ; Na oficina do sociólogo artesão. Aulas 2011-2016. São Paulo: Editora Cortez. ISBN 9788524927089.
SMITH, Mark (1998); Social science in question: towards a postdisciplinary framework. London: Sage Publications/The Open University. ISBN 978-0-7619-6041-6.

Comments from the literature

.

Teaching methods and learning activities

The course has various teaching methods. Lecture lessons: the teachers analyse the program themes with theoretical exposure, empirical illustration and students’ participation with questions and discussion. Tutorial lessons: there are practical activities like oral and written presentation of texts or other documents by students, resolution of theoretical and empirical exercises proposed by teachers, and deepening of themes with discussion. The students are supported in collecting and processing information, researching bibliographical sources and preparing the thematic report and practical exercises. The teachers offer additional online information about the bibliography, table of contents, assessment, pedagogical materials, and student opening hours.

keywords

Social sciences

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation without final exam

Assessment Components

Designation	Weight (%)
Trabalho escrito	50,00
Teste	50,00
Total:	100,00

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

Designation	Time (hours)
Estudo autónomo	93,00
Frequência das aulas	39,00
Trabalho escrito	30,00
Total:	162,00

Eligibility for exams

Attendance is not taken into account to obtain attendance (Art. 9 of the FLUP Assessment Rules).
In this sense, the assessment components in EMCS are:
- 1 face-to-face test, which consists of an individual written test on the theoretical contents of the UC programme and takes place throughout the 1st semester; it does not include a practical part;
- 1 written assignment consisting of a group assignment proposed by the lecturers.
All assessment components are compulsory.


As part of this course, it is compulsory to read Support Booklet 1, which will be made available at the beginning of classes and contains all the information on how the course unit works and the assessment procedures and components.

Please note: Students who, under the terms of the law and according to FLUP's Assessment Rules, are exempt from attending classes (student workers, students with ENEE and other students) are obliged to contact the lecturers at the beginning of the course period to clarify the respective knowledge assessment procedures. Assessment procedures.

Calculation formula of final grade

The final grade in the course is calculated from the weighted average of the marks obtained in each of the assessment components:
- individual test - 50%
- written work - 50%

For the student to be considered to have passed the course unit:
- the final mark is equal to or greater than 10 points, bearing in mind that the mark obtained in any of the assessment components must be similar to or greater than 7.5 points;
- in the case of a classification lower than 7.5 in one of the assessment components, the positive classification in the other components is taken into account until the appeal period of the same academic year, and the student can repeat the assessment component at that time;
- students who obtain between 8 and 9 marks as a weighted result of the assessment components must repeat the individual test in the appeal period;
- students with marks below 7.5 in the individual test, and provided they have obtained between 7.5 and 9 in the other assessment components, repeat the test in the appeal period.

Examinations or Special Assignments

Does not apply.

Internship work/project

Does not apply.

Special assessment (TE, DA, ...)

Students who, under the terms of the law and according to the FLUP Assessment Rules, are exempt from attending classes (student workers, students with ENEE and other statuses provided for by law) are obliged to contact the lecturers at the beginning of the period of operation of the UC, to clarify the respective knowledge assessment procedures. To complete the work over the semester and hand it in on the due date, these students meet the worksheets according to the instructions given by the lecturers.
Students who meet the conditions to be assessed in a particular end-of-course period will be evaluated by an individual test (50 per cent) and a specific thematic report (50 per cent) by the terms defined. On the last assessment day of the appeal period, in the 2nd semester, the lecturers will make the new syllabus and the due date available.
For this purpose, it is compulsory to read Support Booklet 1, which will be available at the beginning of classes and contains all the information on how the course unit works and the assessment procedures and components.

Classification improvement

The improvement of final classification is carried out in accordance with the rules of FLUP. It is possible to improve the final classification in the test component, doing a new test, and in the written work component, doing a new one.

Observations

PLEASE NOTE

1. Support Booklet 1 has been published on the course page of Sigarra, which contains detailed information on the assessment procedures and components and the operation of the course. It is compulsory to read this document.
2. Opening hours for students (day and time): to be defined by the lecturers at the start of classes. This requires prior booking by the student by email and in person.

3. The primary bibliography for the course is compulsory reading, as indicated by the lecturers. Other alternative and complementary bibliographical references are provided in the course materials.

4. Contacts:

João Teixeira Lopes
jlopes@letras.up.pt
Office 253, Tower B


Sociology Department, FLUP
Via Panorâmica, s/n
4150-564 Porto
Phone.: 351 226077100, 4248 
URL: www.letras.up.pt; www.isociologia.pt