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Challenge of the Social Sciences - Audio

by The Open University

Education

This course focuses on two interlinked issues: the philosophical questions that arise in social science research, and research methods. Social inquiry attempts to take a scientific approach to explaining the complexity of everyday experiences, but in practice there are many pitfalls. The course reviews common issues that arise, including language, culture, survey methods and the problems of distinguishing between facts and values, understanding and explanation, theory and observation, and induction and deduction. The central tenet is that philosophical thinking and practical research go hand in hand. This material is taken from The Open University Course D820 The Challenge of the Social Sciences.

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Episodes

  1. A discussion of housing issues

    Professor Chris Hamnett discusses his study of housing issues and its relevance to social scientists.

  2. How policy affects housing issues

    Lila Baker from Shelter discusses the impact of policymaking on housing issues.

  3. The experiences of homeless women

    Annabel Thomas on the experiences of homeless women in Brighton.

  4. Being a scientist

    Stephen talks about being a scientist and what it means to him.

  5. The scientific idea

    Stephen talks about the concept of science, how it has changed over the centuries, and its link to theology.

  6. How we quantify social science

    Professor Andrew Sayer discusses the purpose and method of social science.

View all 12 episodes →

About this show

This course focuses on two interlinked issues: the philosophical questions that arise in social science research, and research methods. Social inquiry attempts to take a scientific approach to explaining the complexity of everyday experiences, but in practice there are many pitfalls. The course reviews common issues that arise, including language, culture, survey methods and the problems of distinguishing between facts and values, understanding and explanation, theory and observation, and induction and deduction. The central tenet is that philosophical thinking and practical research go hand in hand. This material is taken from The Open University Course D820 The Challenge of the Social Sciences.

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The Open University

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Education

Frequently asked questions

How many episodes does Challenge of the Social Sciences - Audio have?

Challenge of the Social Sciences - Audio has 12 episodes on PodParley. The most recent episode was published on May 30, 2008.

What is Challenge of the Social Sciences - Audio about?

This course focuses on two interlinked issues: the philosophical questions that arise in social science research, and research methods. Social inquiry attempts to take a scientific approach to explaining the complexity of everyday experiences, but in practice there are many pitfalls. The course...

Who hosts Challenge of the Social Sciences - Audio?

Challenge of the Social Sciences - Audio is created and hosted by The Open University.
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