Course Resources Archive

This module explores the nature of the social sciences and the natural sciences, in relation to the philosophical, epistemological and ontological debates that dominate the processes of researching the human world. Debates include objectivity within the research process; the influence of facts and values in the social sciences; and whether the perturbations caused by postmodernism affect the way that human science research is (or should be) carried out.

The structure of scientific thought and the logic of scientific inquiry, explanation, prediction, falsifiability, theory, causation, laws and relationships

Origins and scope of the social sciences: conflicting perspectives on human sciences

Objectivity and value judgements in the social sciences

Ideology: beliefs and belief systems, sociological analysis of knowledge and knowing 

Understanding the social world: positivism, empiricism, idealism, relativism, post-structuralism and post-modernism.

A student passing this module should be able to:

1. Demonstrate an understanding of the debates regarding research and epistemology
2. Appreciate epistemological and ontological approaches to understanding the social world
3. Analyse methodological and theoretical issues arising in the social sciences
4. Apply all of the above to a critical understanding of the social world

The Library Catalogue contains full details of the current reading list for this module. Further details may also be found in the Module Guide.