ADM5124 EPISTEMOLOGY AND METHODOLOGY IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
| Course Code: | 3105124 |
| METU Credit (Theoretical-Laboratory hours/week): | 3 (3.00 - 0.00) |
| ECTS Credit: | 6.0 |
| Department: | Political Science and Public Adm. |
| Language of Instruction: | English |
| Level of Study: | Graduate |
| Course Coordinator: | Prof.Dr. AYLİN TOPAL |
| Offered Semester: | Fall or Spring Semesters. |
Course Objectives
This course aims to re-problematize the issue of epistemology and methodology, in the ways that they pertain to the study of public administration. As such, it aims to re-visit the core epistemological debates in social sciences, their implications, and their strengths and weaknesses for the study of administration. By doing so, the course also aims to develop methodological self-awareness.
Course Content
The course is designed to put forward the place of public administration discipline within social sciences and humanities, which are dominant explanatory types of social reality, in the context of the theory of science and methodology. This place will be determined both internally via the paradigms concerned and externally from the perspectives of critical theory and historical materialism. In this course, on the one hand main characteristics of these scientific paradigms, on the other hand in line with the results rendered from the debates, the issue that whether public administration is science or not will be discussed. Methodological difference of this course is that, social sciences and humanities are not considered general abstract theories, but they are handled within the framework of the historical conditions from which they emerged. In this regard, general epistemology debate will be made on historical-economic ground. The place of public administration discipline will be analyzed historically in the context of administrative reality as a dependent variable of capitalist social reality (or formation). Furthermore, the place of the discipline, considering the discussions concerned in terms of public administration discipline in Turkey, will be problematised in the context of material bases (or substance) of the theory of science in Turkey.
Course Learning Outcomes
Students will be able to:
Articulate how epistemological stances shape research questions in PA
Select appropriate methods for different administrative research problems
Assess the validity and reliability claims in published PA research
Navigate ethical dilemmas in studying bureaucratic organizations
Propose methodologically innovative approaches to emerging PA challenges
Program Outcomes Matrix
| Level of Contribution | |||||
| # | Program Outcomes | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 1 | The ability to interpret and assess the ways in which power is generated and used socially, institutionally, economically and culturally at the local, national and international levels. | ✔ | |||
| 2 | The ability to conduct interdisciplinary studies and research when assessing the social phenomena in the field of Political Science and Public Administration. | ✔ | |||
| 3 | To attain a sound formation regarding the basic topics, like state-society relations, history of political thought, organisational theory, Turkish politics and comparative politics, in the field of Political Science and Public Administration. | ✔ | |||
| 4 | The ability to use the classical and new approaches in social sciences comprehensively and critically. | ✔ | |||
| 5 | To acquire the methodological knowledge and scientific skills which would enhance the capacity to conduct scientific research and produce publications including a M.S. thesis. | ✔ | |||
| 6 | The ability to evaluate the different dimensions of the problems in the policy areas which are studied through the use of different theoretical perspectives and to develop strategies on this basis. | ✔ | |||
| 7 | To uphold ethical principles in science, academy and life. | ✔ | |||
| 8 | To approach the issues by an independent, critical and inventive cognitive orientation, which could also support the professional career development. | ✔ | |||
0: No Contribution 1: Little Contribution 2: Partial Contribution 3: Full Contribution