Methods and orientations

obowiązkowe

studia drugiego stopnia

Master of Liberal Arts

semestr 2

studia stacjonarne

profil akademicki

obowiązkowe

Realizowany w sali

ECTS points in relation to student’s duties:

total number of ECTS = 3

1 ects = 30h in class

0,5 ects = 15 h for consultations

1,5 ects = 45 h for preparation for class

Course description

The course introduces students to how research is conducted in communication studies when approached from the academic perspectives of humanities. It gives them a general overview of research paradigms and exposes them to exemplary studies, both landmark and current. Students are exposed to specialized terminologies and academic research traditions.

Course objectives

- familiarising students with how research is conducted in humanities

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Course content

1. The main research orientations within the subject field:structuralism, culturalism, functionalism, cognitivism, psychoanalysis, poststructuralism

2. Theoretical models and research paradigms: quantitative, qualitative, normative and critical

3. Methodologies and analytic categories: analysis of communicators/institutions, messages/cultural products and audiences/consumers

4. Research procedures: data sampling, analytical tools, methods of presentation and discussion.

5. The scope and results of research: criticism and critique/ ideological implications/ power relations.

6. The issues to be explored vis-a-vis methods to be applied.

7. Common problems in doing communication studies research.

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Methods of instruction/ forms of classroom activity:

Lectures with multimedia presentations and exemplary handouts prepared by the instructor, group and individual analysis of exemplars and discussion

presenting individual projects (20min per participant) and critical response, debate on it, ICT tools/ MSTeams

Reading list

A selection of monographs, methods guidebooks and online methods sites e.g., SAGE METHODS

Stokes, Jane. 2003. How to do Cultural and Media Studies. SAGE.

Supplementary reading:

Tsene Lida. 2016. Qualitative Multi-Method Research: Media Social Responsibility

Sternheimer Karen. 2018. Studying Media & Choosing the Right Methodology:

Velkov Julia 2018. Studying Emerging Data Practices: Creating a Cultural Biography of Objects Through Using the Web as an Ethnographic Resource

Learning outcomes acc to PRK 2019

Knowledge:

Students know and understand

1. the. specificity of the subject and range of methodology of humanistic sciences, notably within linguistics and communication studies, cultural studies and visual arts for the purposes of public communication (k_W07/P7S_WG)

2. advanced methods of analysis and interpretation of texts, discourses and cultural products/practices (k_W11/P7S_WG)

3. advanced methods of analysis of human beings as social agents within larger social structures and of rules according to which they function (k_W12/P7S_WG)

4. political and ethical, economic and regulatory challenges connected with interdisciplinary research paradigms and their applications (k_W14/P7S_WK)

Skills

Students can:

5. use appropriate research methods and tools, including advanced information and communication technologies (ICT) (k_U05/P7S_UW)

6. analyse textual, graphic and visual data, compare and contrast various ideas and viewpoints (k_U07/P7S_UW)

Social competences

Students are ready to

7. reach out to sources for corroboration and experts for advice using different media and communication technologies (k_K03/P7S_KK)

8. assume attitudes and motivations that allow freedom of expression and self-fulfilment through high academic achievement (k_K08/P7S_KO)

9. recognize and apply in practice the ethical norms (.e.g., prevent discrimination and conflict of interests) in organizations of employment (including the academia) (k_K12/P7S_KR)

Forms of evaluation of learning outcomes

1. Active class participation, debating and responding to lectures, presentations – 45% of the final grade (outcome 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9)

2. A case study analysis/ essay/ methodological application design - 55% of the final grade (outcome 2,3,4,5,6)

pass at 60% of the final grade