Module 30-M-Soz-M3a Sociological Methods a

Non-official translation of the module descriptions. Only the German version is legally binding.

As part of the General Competence Concept for the MA in Sociology (see https://www.uni-bielefeld.de/fakultaeten/soziologie/studium/master/pdf/Kompetenzkonzept_Masterstudiengaenge.pdf), students acquire basic knowledge of scientific theoretical positions and procedural logics, in the handling of survey and evaluation techniques and the presentation of research results in this module. They learn to recognise and assess the differences and limitations of the applicability of standardised and non-standardised survey methods in empirical social research. To some extent, students will also be able to assess the use of survey methods in different research contexts and reflect on their possible advantages and disadvantages.

Methods training centres on the development and application of relevant methods of empirical social research, considering both research-oriented and non-university practice in the use of methods.

In the context of methodology, a general distinction is made between qualitative and quantitative methodological approvals.

In qualitative approaches, the focus is on observation procedures, interview procedures as well as text- and image-orientated procedures, but also on dealing with the most important traditions of qualitative data analysis, such as ethnomethodology, discourse analysis, objective hermeneutics and grounded theory.
In addition to the most important qualitative research methods, the methodological prerequisites and implications of qualitative methods and their function for sociological theorising will also be discussed.

Quantitative approval includes the implementation of theory-oriented research hypotheses in a corresponding survey design, the development and testing of adequate survey instruments, the selection techniques for determining the units of investigation and the application of descriptive and multivariate evaluation methods. As part of the quantitative approval process, differences between the methods used in academic social science research and those used in non-university market and opinion research are also addressed. Finally, current specialist discussions in international methodological journals are also considered.

Students are able to specialise in qualitative or quantitative methods by choosing the appropriate courses.

Students with comparatively little prior knowledge of sociological research methods are recommended to attend one course each with qualitative and quantitative approval. These courses deal with scientific theoretical positions and controversies as well as methodological concepts of empirical social research and their implications for data collection and analysis methods in practice. The seminars also teach the technology of qualitative and quantitative data collection and prepare students for the possibility of developing survey instruments in independently conducted empirical studies.

The module programme is always completed with a written assignment. This always takes the form of a seminar paper.

Basic knowledge of the methods of empirical social research at the level of introductory literature is generally assumed for students of this module. See for example:

• Flick, Uwe/Ernst v.Kardorff/Ines Steinke (Hrsg.) (2008): Qualitative Forschung: Ein Handbuch, Reinbek: Rowohlt
• Diekmann, A. (2007): Empirische Sozialforschung: Grundlagen, Methoden, Anwendungen, 21. Aufl., Reinbek: Rowohlt
• Gehring, U., Weins, C. (2009): Grundkurs Statistik für Politologen und Soziologen, 5. Aufl., Wiesbaden: VS
• Silverman, D. (2007): Interpreting Qualitative Data. Methods for Analyzing Talk, Text and Interaction. London: Sage.
• Silverman, D. (2009): Qualitative Research: Theory, Methods and Practice, 2nd ed. London: Sage.
• Schnell, R., Hill, P., Esser, E. (2008): Methoden der empirischen Sozialforschung, 8. Aufl., München: Oldenbourg

Successful attendance of the two methods lectures of the introductory module provides sufficient basic knowledge for the module "Sociological Methods".

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