2024-2025 / SPOL0100-1

Methodological issues in Political Science

Duration

15h Pr, 15h Lect.

Number of credits

 Extra courses intended for exchange students (Erasmus, ...) (Faculty of Law, Political Science and Criminology)5 crédits 

Lecturer

Antonios Vlassis

Language(s) of instruction

English language

Organisation and examination

Teaching in the second semester

Schedule

Schedule online

Units courses prerequisite and corequisite

Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program

Learning unit contents

The course is composed of the following sections: 

- Ontology and epistemology in Political science

- Behaviouralism

- Rational choice theory

- Institutionnalism and new institutionnalism

- Structuralism, marxism and post-marxism

- Constructivism

- Post-modernism

Learning outcomes of the learning unit

The course focuses on several methodological and theoretical issues in Political Science.

First, the aim is to analyse in historical and comparative perspective key theoretical approaches both in Political Science - such as behaviouralism, institutionalism and neo-institutionalism, rational choice theory, interpretive theory, structuralism and post-structuralism - and in International Relations, such as realism, liberalism, post-marxism and constructivism.

Second, the goal is to highlight in which ways various theoretical perspectives deal with key methodological issues in Political Science.    

 

Prerequisite knowledge and skills

The course will be taught entirely in English. Students will be required to read scientific articles, to carry out a team oral presentation, to participate in class and to pass a written exam, all in English. Therefore advanced notions of English are required.     

Planned learning activities and teaching methods

Ex-cathedra course based on interaction with students

Mode of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)

Face-to-face course


Additional information:

All the sessions will be taught onsite in a classroom setting.

Course materials and recommended or required readings

The readings and PPTs are available on the following link: 

http://hdl.handle.net/2268/263229

Recommended readings

David March and Gerry Stoker, Theory and Methods in Political Science, Palgrave Macmillan, 2002. 

Christopher Lamont, Research Methods in International Relations, London, SAGE Publication, 2015. 

Peter Hall and Rosemary Taylor, Political Science and the Three Institutionnalisms, Political Studies, XILV, 1996: 936-957. 

Stephen Walt, International Relations: One World, Many Theories, Foreign Policy, 1998: 29-45. 

Martha Finnemore and Kathryn Sikkink, The Constructivist Research Program in International Relations and Comparative Politics, American Review of Political Science, 2001: 391-416. 

Andrew Bennett and Colin Elman, Case study methods in the International Relations Subfield, Comparative Political Studies, 40(2), 2007: 179-195. 

 

Exam(s) in session

Any session

- In-person

written exam

- Remote

oral exam


Additional information:

- Final exam and
- Oral presentation
 
** Due to Covid-19 reasons, possibility to organise online exam
 
 

Work placement(s)

Organisational remarks and main changes to the course

Wednesdays, 1pm-3pm

Contacts

Dr. Antonios Vlassis

Research Professor, Political Science Department

Bât. B31 Relations internationales
Quartier Agora
place des Orateurs 3
4000 Liège 1
Belgique

office R.11, level 0
email: avlassis@uliege.be

Association of one or more MOOCs