Topics in Sociological Analysis (476-0-23)

Topic

Scientific Constructivism

Instructors

James L Mahoney
847/491-2626
Scott Hall, Room 402, Evanston Campus
Office Hours: http://www.polisci.northwestern.edu/people/core-faculty/james-mahoney.html
James Mahoney is a comparative-historical researcher with interests in socioeconomic development, political regimes, and methodology. His most recent books are Colonialism and Postcolonial Development: Spanish America in Comparative Perspective (2010) and Explaining Institutional Change: Ambiguity, Agency, and Power (2010; co-edited with Kathleen Thelen). He is also the author of The Legacies of Liberalism: Path Dependence and Political Regimes in Central America (2001) and co-editor of Comparative-Historical Analysis in the Social Sciences (2003; with Dietrich Rueschemeyer). His article publications feature work on political and socioeconomic development in Latin America, path dependence in historical sociology, and causal inference in small-N analysis. Mahoney is a past President of the APSA Section for Qualitative and Multi-Method Research, and he is Chair of the ASA Section for Comparative and Historical Sociology.

Meeting Info

Scott Hall 212: Tues 9:00AM - 11:50AM

Overview of class

"Scientific Constructivism"

This class bridges the constructivism/science divide. It discusses theoretical and methodological tools for conducting scientific constructivist research.

Learning Objectives

The course is designed to teach graduate students about ways to carry out scientific analysis under constructivist assumptions.

Teaching Method

Graduate seminar discussion.

Evaluation Method

Participation and papers

Class Materials (Required)

James Mahoney, The Logic of Social Science (Princeton University Press, 2021)

Enrollment Requirements

Enrollment Requirements: Sociology/MORS PhD Students