This course aims to give an introduction to a number of ‘key thinkers’ in and for the social sciences, whose ideas have been influential in shaping our theories, research programs, and research objects. We program a series of guest lectures by experts who will present the thinkers’ lives and historical contexts as well as their main ideas and theories. We will also devote explicit attention to their continuing relevance for present-day social scientists in general and for the participants in particular.
FSS - Key Thinkers in Social Sciences
Dr. Mariken van der Velden (m.a.c.g.vander.velden@vu.nl)
Course description
Although conducted in research programs and teams within often large academic institutions, social science is ultimately the work of humans. And some humans are particularly good at raising the questions and offering the concepts that others then work with. Because their ideas have shaped the research agenda and dominated the debate of the social science in, say, the last 200 years and continue to do so, they are what we can call ‘key thinkers’: thinkers whose idea every (aspiring) social scientist should know at least something about. This course offers a series of meetings on several such key thinkers. The choice of thinkers is obviously limited and selective, but we hope it provides participants with a first helpful overview and an entrance to the world of social thought that, in our everyday course of work, remains too often in the background.
Study Characteristics
- Discipline: Social Sciences
- Language: English
- ECTS: 2-3
- Type of education: in class
- Academic skill: Discipline related
- Graduate School: Graduate School of Social Sciences
- Start date: 20-10-2023
- End date: April 2024
- Min. number of students: 5
- Max. number of students: 12
- Concluding assessment: yes
- Assessment type: PhD candidates can obtain 3 EC’s if they participate actively in at least 4 sessions and write a paper in which they relate the ideas of two thinkers to their own PhD research (detailed requirements to be announced later). Grading of papers is as pass/fail. There is an option to not write the assignment and obtain 2ECs instead
- With certificate: yes
- Registration deadline: 4 weeks before the start of the course
- Available to: All PhD candidates and Research Master students in FSW and other VU faculties can participate. FSW faculty members and students are welcome to attend meetings as auditors.
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FSS – Key Thinkers in Social Sciences
Course description
Although conducted in research programs and teams within often large academic institutions, social science is ultimately the work of humans. And some humans are particularly good at raising the questions and offering the concepts that others then work with. Because their ideas have shaped the research agenda and dominated the debate of the social science in, say, the last 200 years and continue to do so, they are what we can call ‘key thinkers’: thinkers whose idea every (aspiring) social scientist should know at least something about. This course offers a series of meetings on several such key thinkers. The choice of thinkers is obviously limited and selective, but we hope it provides participants with a first helpful overview and an entrance to the world of social thought that, in our everyday course of work, remains too often in the background.
Study Characteristics
- Discipline: Social Sciences
- Language: English
- ECTS: 2-3
- Type of education: in class
- Academic skill: Discipline related
- Graduate School: Graduate School of Social Sciences
- Start date: 20-10-2023
- End date: April 2024
- Min. number of students: 5
- Max. number of students: 12
- Concluding assessment: yes
- Assessment type: PhD candidates can obtain 3 EC’s if they participate actively in at least 4 sessions and write a paper in which they relate the ideas of two thinkers to their own PhD research (detailed requirements to be announced later). Grading of papers is as pass/fail. There is an option to not write the assignment and obtain 2ECs instead
- With certificate: yes
- Registration deadline: 4 weeks before the start of the course
- Available to: All PhD candidates and Research Master students in FSW and other VU faculties can participate. FSW faculty members and students are welcome to attend meetings as auditors.