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Survey methods in social sciences

Courses objectives

  • To acquire the basic concepts in sociology
  • To learn to reflect on one's practices in the production of scientific data (data collection, processing and analysis) in the humanities
  • Identify and combine the appropriate methods for dealing with different questions in the field of human sciences
  • To be introduced to the practice of the semi-structured interview (design, execution, processing).

Course contents

  • Introduction to sociology: questions in the human sciences; basic concepts, kinship and land control
  • Introduction to epistemology: general principles of scientific data production
  • Construction of a problematic: analysis of the order, theoretical framing, dimensions and fields of a study
  • Survey techniques in the human sciences: survey cycle, combination of survey methods, semi-structured interviews

Teaching and learning methods

Indoor course.
Application of the theoretical lessons through a collective field exercise comprising three days of surveys and four days of data analysis concluded by a written monographic report and an oral presentation to a jury.

Course evaluation

Students are assessed on their ability to apply the methods in the field and on the quality of their written reports.

Target skills

Identify, combine, design and implement survey methods in sociology.

Course Coordinator(s)

Dr. GAUDIN Alexandre
Lecturer in socio-anthropology
alexandre.gaudin @ agroparistech.fr

Additional Info

  • Training delivering this course: MSc GEEFT, MSc BioGET
  • Field of study: Humanities
  • Learning place(s): Montpellier, Other places
  • Requirements:

    None.

  • Calendar-Duration:

    Course of 3 weeks in October including 1 week of fieldwork. Course shared with the Master’s degree "Biodiversity, Ecology, Evolution" (BEE) - University of Montpellier - AgroParisTech - Institut Agro - University of Poitiers.

  • Keywords:

    survey methods, social sciences