UCL - Structural Analysis (Epistemology, Method and Technique)

[SOC2080]

[30h] 5 credits

This course is taught in the 2d semester.

Teacher(s): Jean-Pierre Hiernaux

Language: French

Level: Second

Aims
Main themes
Content and teaching methods
Other information (prerequisite, evaluation (assessment methods), course materials recommended readings, ...)

Aims

The lecture aims at introducing the participants to the practical and intellectual mastery of the procedures of structural analysis of contents applicable to a diversity of concrete material (b.o. interviews, press, records) in a sociological perspective.

Main themes

Analysis of material through the method of structural analysis, in a sociological perspective
Analysis of underlying epistemological orientations
- Comparison to other methods of qualitative sociological analysis

Content and teaching methods

Through the confrontation to concrete observation material, selected in a didactic per-spective and spread out properly, the participants will examine the appropriate modali-ties of descriptive formalisation for a sociological analysis. The underlying epistemological perspectives will be identified and criticised. The specific approach of analysis will be situated and evaluated in comparison to other possible approaches. The way data is restored through a selected procedure will give place to a reflexion on the appropriate concepts for sociological analysis. The constitution of an adequate corpus of observation (data collection) will be treated in parallel.

Other information (prerequisite, evaluation (assessment methods), course materials recommended readings, ...)

At the issue of the course, participants will be invited to summarize, in accessible terms, their own synthesis of their essential experience, illustrated via brief examples where they will demonstrate their im-plementation skills.