Course design
This is the fifth time I've taught this course. I never teach it the same way twice, for better or worse. Most of the time I've spent on revamping the course has been on locating new materials, reading the materials, trying to figure out how to squeeze everything in, and trying to figure out how to order everything. It's not easy.
The biggest course element I've added this time is a session on measurement theory. This isn't something I know a lot about; it's an area developed mainly by psychometricians—that is, psychologists who devote their time to measuring psychological states. We sociologists have had a tendency to "wing it" as far as measurement goes, ignoring what the psycholometricians have to tell us (although we're perfectly willing to use the scales they've developed, when they apply to our work). Anyway, that's why I've added a session on measurement theory.
The other thing I'm adding is a course component aimed at developing what C. Wright Mills calls "intellectual craftsmanship." This component is intended to inculcate positive, career-long intellectual habits that will (in theory!) serve students well regardless of what empirical methods they use in their research. The core assignment (for this component) will be to develop and refine a research agenda outline--what Mills calls a "master agenda." Our research agendas are the plans we formulate in order to translate our interests and desires into actions. I doubt that many graduate students not yet on the job market have taken the time to think about what their research agenda is and will be, but the second year of a graduate program is not too early to start thinking about this. (This is not the same thing as the "statement of research interests" sometimes required for academic job applications. The research agenda outline is not intended as a form of self-presentation; it is a repository for the thoughts and half-baked ideas that will eventually go into the more polished "statement.")
What do I (or we) lose by squeezing in these elements? For one, a week that I devoted last year to meetings with students. Two, time to work on data analysis methods. Three, unless I can figure out a way to work this in, time to spend on exemplars of good social science produced using survey research. I may still find time for this, but it will have to come at the expense of something else ...
The biggest course element I've added this time is a session on measurement theory. This isn't something I know a lot about; it's an area developed mainly by psychometricians—that is, psychologists who devote their time to measuring psychological states. We sociologists have had a tendency to "wing it" as far as measurement goes, ignoring what the psycholometricians have to tell us (although we're perfectly willing to use the scales they've developed, when they apply to our work). Anyway, that's why I've added a session on measurement theory.
The other thing I'm adding is a course component aimed at developing what C. Wright Mills calls "intellectual craftsmanship." This component is intended to inculcate positive, career-long intellectual habits that will (in theory!) serve students well regardless of what empirical methods they use in their research. The core assignment (for this component) will be to develop and refine a research agenda outline--what Mills calls a "master agenda." Our research agendas are the plans we formulate in order to translate our interests and desires into actions. I doubt that many graduate students not yet on the job market have taken the time to think about what their research agenda is and will be, but the second year of a graduate program is not too early to start thinking about this. (This is not the same thing as the "statement of research interests" sometimes required for academic job applications. The research agenda outline is not intended as a form of self-presentation; it is a repository for the thoughts and half-baked ideas that will eventually go into the more polished "statement.")
What do I (or we) lose by squeezing in these elements? For one, a week that I devoted last year to meetings with students. Two, time to work on data analysis methods. Three, unless I can figure out a way to work this in, time to spend on exemplars of good social science produced using survey research. I may still find time for this, but it will have to come at the expense of something else ...
posted by mightbe at 4:31 AM
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