PBHLTH 202L
Critical Theory and Social Science Methods
Social science research on identity and vulnerable populations is at a critical moment. This course will examine the tension between theoretical and empirical research and its adverse impact on social science research. It will explore ways to develop methodological approaches to race and other markers of human difference that blend traditional empirical methods with critical theoretical traditions, e.g. critical race theory, feminist theory, disability theory, queer theory, and others. Emphasis will be placed on understanding the implications of this tension between theory and methods for research in the health sciences.
Topics
- 1. Understand the limitations of contemporary social science research on race and other identity traits such as gender, sex, sexuality, and disability. 2. Understand the significance of the “firewall” between theory and method in social science research and how it can lead to less than robust understandings of the social world and health outcomes. 3. Understand the contributions that critical theoretical traditions can make to empirical research - especially in the health sciences. 4. Be able to design a social science research project that reflects traditional empirical methods and critical theoretical insights.
Official catalogue course objectives and student learning outcomes
Sources
- Course catalogue ↗2026-2027