Postgraduate Module Descriptor
SOCM002A: Philosophy of the Social Sciences 1
This module descriptor refers to the 2017/8 academic year.
Module Content
Syllabus Plan
Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some or all of the following topics:
What is philosophy of social science?
Social and institutional ontology: the nature and conditions of the social and cultural world
Holism and individualism: the nature of collective action and collective responsibility
Structure and agency: social determinism and individual agency
Realism and social constructionism: the debate over reality and social construction (race, class, gender, sexuality, scientific knowledge)
The Idea of a social science: the Wittgensteinian critique and its critics
Social science, ethics and the fact-value distinction
Learning and Teaching
This table provides an overview of how your hours of study for this module are allocated:
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 22 | 128 | 0 |
...and this table provides a more detailed breakdown of the hours allocated to various study activities:
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activites | 22 | 11 x 2 hour seminars |
| Guided Independent Study | 10 | Time preparing for 750 word summary |
| Guided Independent Study | 68 | Time doing weekly readings |
| Guided Independent Study | 40 | Time preparing summative essay(s) |
| Guided Independent Study | 10 | Independent study |
Online Resources
This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).