BA Seminar: American Politics Domestic and Foreign: Culture, Institutions and Leadership

B.Sc. seminars
obligatory courses

The seminar is addressed to students interested in broadly understood political and social issues, with an emphasis on US domestic policy. However, people wishing to research issues of foreign policy, political culture, political psychology, and political communication are also welcome. All these people will find it useful to use the previously acquired knowledge from various classes at OSA and to practically verify their ability to use social science methods, especially qualitative ones. The aim of the classes is to IMPLEMENT the research plan for the bachelor's thesis.

SCHEDULE:

Classes are conducted in small groups or in the form of consultations adapted to the level of advancement of the research project by individual students.

Week 1 and 2. Presentation of the approved research project to the group (February)

Week 3 - 5. Consultations with the thesis supervisor according to a previously established schedule resulting from the level of advancement of the research. (March 8, 15, 22)

Easter break

Week 7 – 9. Work in smaller groups consistent with the topics of research projects. Students of related topics discuss each other's texts. Individual consultations on the written parts of the bachelor's thesis (April 12, 19, 26)

May break and Juwenalia. (May 3, 10)

Presentation of the research completed. Individual consultations depending on the level of advancement of the research project. (May 17, 24)

Rector's Day May 31

NOTE: SUBMITTING THE READY BACHELOR THESIS LATEST ON June 5, 2024

Individual consultations depending on the level of advancement of the research project with students who do not submit their thesis on the first date. Presentation of the research performed. (June 7, 14).

LITERATURE:

various texts on the methodology of social science research:

Wayne Booth, Gregory Colomb, Joseph Williams, The Craft of Research

James Lester, James Lester jr Writing Research Papers - A Complete Guide

Earl Babbie The Practice of Social Research. 9th Edition.

http://csr-d.pl/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Earl-Babbie-Badania-Spo%C5%82eczne-w-Praktyce.pdf

Phillips Shively, The Craft of Political Research any edition

https://edisciplinas.usp.br/pluginfile.php/4250035/mod_folder/content/0/Textos/Shively%2C%20The%20Craft%20of%20Political%20Research.pdf?forcedownload=1

LEARNING OUTCOMES: After completing this course, the student possess/demonstrate:

1. KNOWLEDGE:

- knowledge of concepts about theory in a selected field;

- learn qualitative research methods;

- they will learn to read scientific texts in the field of political science;

- understand the importance of science in the modern world;

- have in-depth knowledge of the interdependence of culture and politics;

- know advanced terminology in the field of their research, recognize complex relationships between political and social phenomena;

2. SKILLS:

- reading the results of qualitative research;

- ask scientific questions, understand how science can help understand reality;

- build a research project and search for source materials and studies;

- can interpret scientific texts and take a critical attitude towards them;

- formulate their own research hypotheses;

- prepare written and oral research reports;

- write longer scientific texts;

3. SOCIAL COMPETENCES:

- they can independently set tasks to be performed and adapt activities to them;

- prepare projects using previously acquired knowledge, which shows that learning is a continuous process;

- popularize knowledge by publicly presenting research results;

- speak English fluently to convey advanced scientific content

Passing upon submission of the BA thesis.