From theory to practice: applied sociology of social problems

elective courses

(in Polish) Pierwszeństwo przyjęć dla studentów modułu ‘Problemy społeczne i sprawy publiczne’

Znajomość podstawowych orientacji teoretycznych w socjologii

Classroom

The lecture offers a review of various concepts of the practical use of knowledge accumulated in the social sciences. I discuss the common procedures recommended during the transition from descriptive statements to practical recommendations, pointing to the main factors distorting these procedures. Especially we focus on the ongoing changes in public administration due to discontent results of public policy programs. Ongoing changes in public administration will be presented in historical-institutional and theoretical context.

The aim of this course is to provide knowledge regarding the basic concepts of practical utilization of the systematic knowledge accumulated in the social sciences. During the course, the arguments formulated by the authors of the main concepts of knowledge use (A. Podgórecki's social engineering, H. Lasswell's policy sciences) and assumptions of contemporary Goal Oriented Project Planning models are confronted with those which criticise the idea of 'social engineering' (K. Popper, M. Oakeshott, Ch. Lindblom). The basically arguments describing both market failures and government failures will be presented. On the one hand we describe classical model of bureaucracy (Weber and its review), and the second no-classical models (New Public Management, Contracting out, New Governance). Empirical evidence of administrative practice will be embedded in theoretical context therefore we are sure that only knowledge of theories lead to good practice in the changing world.

Charles Lindblom: “Still Muddling, Not Yet Through”; Public Administration Review, 1979

Charles Lindblom: “The Science of Muddling Through”, Public Administration Review, 1959

David Osborne, Ted Gaebler: „Rządzić inaczej. Jak duch przedsiębiorczości przenika i przekształca administrację publiczną”, Media Rodzina, Poznań 1992;

Guy Peters: „Administracja publiczna w systemie politycznym”, Wyd. Scholar, Warszawa 1999;

Harold Lasswell: „Policy Sciences”, 1951;

Jerzy Hausner (red.): „Administracja publiczna”, PWN, Warszawa 2005;

Jerzy Kwaśniewski (red.): „Nauki o polityce publicznej. Monografia dyscypliny”, Warszawa 2018;

Karl R. Popper: „Nędza historycyzmu”, PWN, Warszawa 1999;

Kazimierz W. Frieske: „Socjologia w działaniu. Nadzieje i rozczarowania”, Warszawa 1990;

M. Oakeshott: „Racjonalizm w polityce”, w, „Wieża Babel i inne eseje”, Aletheia, Warszawa 1999;

Max Weber: Gospodarka i społeczeństwo, PWN, Warszawa 2002;

Peter Murrel: „Conservative political philosophy and the strategy of economic transition”, 1992

Robert Merton: „Teoria socjologiczna i struktura społeczna”, PWN, Warszawa 2002;

K_W01 Knows and understands basic sociological concepts related to sociology of knowledge and applied sociology

K_W05 Has basic knowledge about social structures and selected social institutions, and their interrelations

K_W09 Has basic knowledge about the tools and goals of social policy

K_W11 Understands the social nature of relationships between individuals, social groups and social institutions

K_W17 Has basic knowledge of the criteria of inference correctness

K_W18 Knows basic methods and techniques of social research and can choose appropriate methods to solve basic research problems

K_W19 Understands the specificity of sociological analysis

K_W22 Has basic knowledge of major foreign, international and domestic sociological research

K_W26 Has rudimentary knowledge about the functioning and management of various types of organizations

K_W27 Has basic knowledge of politics and participation of society in the public sphere

K_W28 Has basic knowledge about the processes forming the basis of social stability and change, and understands their nature

K_W29 Is aware of the processes occurring in Polish and global society and their consequences for social attitudes and institutions

K_W34 Knows the most important processes and ideas of the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries, which have shaped the face of the modern world

K_W35 Is aware of the consequences of choosing a particular theoretical perspective

K_U01 Can record and observe social phenomena in a methodologically correct way

K_U03 Can use basic sociological terms and categories to analyze societies, particularly contemporary Polish society

K_U05 Can independently form simple judgments on the causes of selected social processes and phenomena

K_U10 Can use academic knowledge acquired in social practice

K_U15 Can discuss measures presented as solutions to particular social problems (in micro and macro scale), based on acquired knowledge

K_U20 Can comprehend a scientific text and identify its main theses and the author’s arguments, as well as discuss them

K_K06 Can argue a thesis

K_K07 Can critically assess sources

Written exam