syllabus
1. Information regarding the programme
1.1 Higher education institution 	Universitatea Babes-Bolyai, Cluj-Napoca	
1.2 Faculty	Facultatea de Stiinte Politice, Administrative si ale Comunicarii	
1.3 Department	Departamentul de Administratie publica	
1.4 Field of study	Administratie publica	
1.5 Study cycle	masterat	
1.6 Study programme / Qualification 	Research design and data analysis	

2. Information regarding the discipline 
2.1 Name of the discipline (en)
(ro)	Qualitative methods	
2.2 Course coordinator 	Sorana Constantinescu	
2.3 Seminar coordinator		
2.4. Year of study	1	2.5 Semester		2.6. Type of evaluation		2.7 Type of discipline		
2.8 Code of the discipline		Oral exam 	

3. Total estimated time (hours/semester of didactic activities) 
3.1 Hours per week 		Of which: 3.2 course		3.3 seminar/laboratory		
3.4 Total hours in the curriculum 		Of which: 3.5 course		3.6 seminar/laboratory		
Time allotment:	hours	
Learning using manual, course support, bibliography, course notes		
Additional documentation (in libraries, on electronic platforms, field documentation) 		
Preparation for seminars/labs, homework, papers, portfolios and essays		
Tutorship		
Evaluations		
Other activities: ..................		
3.7 Total individual study hours 		
3.8 Total hours per semester		
3.9 Number of ECTS credits		

4. Prerequisites (if necessary)
4.1. curriculum	•	None	
4.2. competencies	•	None 	

5. Conditions (if necessary)
5.1. for the course	Notiunea de plagiat se defineste în conformitate cu normele Catedrei de  Științe Politice a Universității « Babeș-Bolyai »:
(http://fspac.ubbcluj.ro/resurse/formulare-regulamente/reguli-etice-si-deontologice/). Plagiatul si tentativa de frauda la examen se sanctioneaza cu nota 1 la acest curs si expunerea cazului în sedinta Departamentului pentru luarea masurilor administrative corespunzatoare.
Frauda la examenul final se pedepseste cu eliminarea de la examen	
5.2.  for the seminar /lab activities	Prezenţa la seminarii este obligatorie, conform regulamentelor universităţii, în proporţie de 75%.  Pentru examenul de restanta, nota finala include si nota de la seminar obtinuta pe parcursul semestrului	

6. Specific competencies acquired 
Professional competencies	Applying Social Theories to the Analysis of Technology–Society Relations Develop the ability to interpret and critically assess the impact of technology on social, political, and economic structures through the lens of classical and contemporary social theories.
Qualitative Analysis of concrete situations.  
Designing and conducting individual or group projects plan and carry out qualitative research projects that explore themes within social and political theory, with a focus on technological dimensions.
Using the Conceptual Framework of social sciences apply key social science concepts (e.g., power, control, social networks, symbolic capital) to critically evaluate how technology shapes social relationships and institutional dynamics.
	
Transversal competencies	Applying qualitative methodology to the evaluation of social processes; select and appropriately use qualitative techniques to assess the effects of events and social issues. 	

7. Objectives of the discipline (outcome of the acquired competencies)
7.1 General objective of the discipline
	Qualitative inquiry in social sciences is an interdisciplinary field that explores the design, interpretation, and impact of social issues within various contexts. The emphasis is on understanding how social structures, cultural norms, and institutional dynamics shape and are shaped by these issues, as well as how they influence power relations and patterns of social and organizational life.	
7.2 Specific objective of the discipline
	By the end of the course, students will be able to:

•	Understand that the emergence, framing, and interpretation of social issues are shaped by both structural and cultural processes.
•	Apply a variety of conceptual frameworks to examine how social issues are constructed, experienced, and addressed in different contexts.
•	Analyze complex social phenomena from multiple theoretical and methodological perspectives.
•	Identify and critically evaluate primary and secondary sources related to social issues, and construct their own evidence-based arguments.	

8. Content
8.1 Course	Teaching methods	Remarks	
1.	Introduction: Qualitative and Quantitative Research Design	Presentation of a set of concepts and theories related to the course topic, followed by an interactive discussion of selected examples.	Students are required to read the mandatory bibliography indicated in the syllabus.	
2.	Qualitative methodology. Fieldwork	Presentation of a set of concepts and theories related to the course topic, followed by an interactive discussion of selected examples.	Students are required to read the mandatory bibliography indicated in the syllabus.	
3.	Qualitative methodology. Fieldwork	Presentation of a set of concepts and theories related to the course topic, followed by an interactive discussion of selected examples.	Students are required to read the mandatory bibliography indicated in the syllabus.	
4.	Qualitative methodology. Fieldwork	Presentation of a set of concepts and theories related to the course topic, followed by an interactive discussion of selected examples.	Students are required to read the mandatory bibliography indicated in the syllabus.	
5.	Qualitative methodology. Fieldwork	Presentation of a set of concepts and theories related to the course topic, followed by an interactive discussion of selected examples.	Students are required to read the mandatory bibliography indicated in the syllabus.	
6.	Qualitative methodology. Fieldwork	Presentation of a set of concepts and theories related to the course topic, followed by an interactive discussion of selected examples.	Students are required to read the mandatory bibliography indicated in the syllabus.	
7.	Public opinion and the analysis of the public sphere	Presentation of a set of concepts and theories related to the course topic, followed by an interactive discussion of selected examples.	Students are required to read the mandatory bibliography indicated in the syllabus.	
8.	Public opinion and the analysis of the public sphere	Presentation of a set of concepts and theories related to the course topic, followed by an interactive discussion of selected examples.	Students are required to read the mandatory bibliography indicated in the syllabus.	
9.	Qualitative methodology. Case studies. 	Presentation of a set of concepts and theories related to the course topic, followed by an interactive discussion of selected examples.	Students are required to read the mandatory bibliography indicated in the syllabus.	
10.	Qualitative methodology. Case studies	Presentation of a set of concepts and theories related to the course topic, followed by an interactive discussion of selected examples.	Students are required to read the mandatory bibliography indicated in the syllabus.	
11.	Problems of ethics in social research	Presentation of a set of concepts and theories related to the course topic, followed by an interactive discussion of selected examples.	Students are required to read the mandatory bibliography indicated in the syllabus.	
12.	Problems of ethics in social research	Presentation of a set of concepts and theories related to the course topic, followed by an interactive discussion of selected examples.	Students are required to read the mandatory bibliography indicated in the syllabus.	
13.	Content analysis.	Presentation of a set of concepts and theories related to the course topic, followed by an interactive discussion of selected examples.	Students are required to read the mandatory bibliography indicated in the syllabus.	
14.	How to write a research paper	Presentation of a set of concepts and theories related to the course topic, followed by an interactive discussion of selected examples.	Students are required to read the mandatory bibliography indicated in the syllabus.	
Bibliography
Aspers, Patrik, and Ugo Corte. 2019. “What is Qualitative in Qualitative Research” Qualitative Sociology 42: 139-60.
Schwemmer, Carsten, and Oliver Wieczorek. 2020. “The Methodological Divide of Sociology: Evidence from Two Decades of Journal Publications” Sociology 54(1):3-21.
Allmark, Peter, et. al. 2009. “Ethical Issues in the Use of In-Depth Interviews: Literature Review and Discussion.” Research Ethics 5(2): 48-54.
Small, Mario L., and Jenna M. Cook. 2023. “Using Interviews to Understand Why: Challenges and Strategies in the Study of Motivated Action.” Sociological Methods & Research 52(4): 1591-1631.
Tavory, Iddo. 2020. “Interviews and Inference: Making Sense of Interview Data in Qualitative Research.” Qualitative Sociology 43:449-65.]
Scheper-Hughes, N. (1995). The primacy of the ethical: Propositions for a militant anthropology. Current anthropology, 36(3), 409-440.
Nancy Fraser, Kate Nash-Transnationalizing the Public Sphere-Polity (2014)
An Invitation to Reflexive Sociology, Pierre Bourdieu and Loïc J. D. Wacquant
Florea, I. (2016). The Ups and Downs of a Symbolic City:: The Architectural Heritage Protection Movement in Bucharest. In Urban grassroots movements in Central and Eastern Europe (pp. 55-78). Routledge.
Karalis Noel, T., Minematsu, A., & Bosca, N. (2023). Collective autoethnography as a transformative narrative methodology. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 22, 16094069231203944.
	
8.2 Seminar / laboratory	Teaching methods	Remarks	
1.	Introduction: Qualitative and Quantitative Research Design	Presentation of a set of concepts and theories related to the course topic, followed by an interactive discussion of selected examples	Students are required to read the mandatory bibliography indicated in the syllabus.	
2.	Qualitative methodology. Fieldwork	Presentation of a set of concepts and theories related to the course topic, followed by an interactive discussion of selected examples	Students are required to read the mandatory bibliography indicated in the syllabus.	
3.	Qualitative methodology. Fieldwork	Presentation of a set of concepts and theories related to the course topic, followed by an interactive discussion of selected examples	Students are required to read the mandatory bibliography indicated in the syllabus.	
4.	Qualitative methodology. Fieldwork	Presentation of a set of concepts and theories related to the course topic, followed by an interactive discussion of selected examples	Students are required to read the mandatory bibliography indicated in the syllabus.	
5.	Qualitative methodology. Fieldwork	Presentation of a set of concepts and theories related to the course topic, followed by an interactive discussion of selected examples	Students are required to read the mandatory bibliography indicated in the syllabus.	
6.	Qualitative methodology. Fieldwork	Presentation of a set of concepts and theories related to the course topic, followed by an interactive discussion of selected examples	Students are required to read the mandatory bibliography indicated in the syllabus.	
7.	Public opinion and the analysis of the public sphere	Presentation of a set of concepts and theories related to the course topic, followed by an interactive discussion of selected examples	Students are required to read the mandatory bibliography indicated in the syllabus.	
8.	Public opinion and the analysis of the public sphere	Presentation of a set of concepts and theories related to the course topic, followed by an interactive discussion of selected examples	Students are required to read the mandatory bibliography indicated in the syllabus.	
9.	Qualitative methodology. Case studies. 	Presentation of a set of concepts and theories related to the course topic, followed by an interactive discussion of selected examples	Students are required to read the mandatory bibliography indicated in the syllabus.	
10.	Qualitative methodology. Case studies	Presentation of a set of concepts and theories related to the course topic, followed by an interactive discussion of selected examples	Students are required to read the mandatory bibliography indicated in the syllabus.	
11.	Problems of ethics in social research	Presentation of a set of concepts and theories related to the course topic, followed by an interactive discussion of selected examples	Students are required to read the mandatory bibliography indicated in the syllabus.	
12.	Problems of ethics in social research	Presentation of a set of concepts and theories related to the course topic, followed by an interactive discussion of selected examples	Students are required to read the mandatory bibliography indicated in the syllabus.	
13.	Content analysis.	Presentation of a set of concepts and theories related to the course topic, followed by an interactive discussion of selected examples	Students are required to read the mandatory bibliography indicated in the syllabus.	
14.	How to write a research paper	Presentation of a set of concepts and theories related to the course topic, followed by an interactive discussion of selected examples	Students are required to read the mandatory bibliography indicated in the syllabus.	
Bibliography
	
Babbie, Earl. 2012. The Practice of Social Research, 13th. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth. 
Walliman, Nicholas. 2010. Research Methods: The Basics. Routledge.
Aspers, Patrik, and Ugo Corte. 2019. “What is Qualitative in Qualitative Research” Qualitative Sociology 42: 139-60.
Schwemmer, Carsten, and Oliver Wieczorek. 2020. “The Methodological Divide of Sociology: Evidence from Two Decades of Journal Publications” Sociology 54(1):3-21.
Allmark, Peter, et. al. 2009. “Ethical Issues in the Use of In-Depth Interviews: Literature Review and Discussion.” Research Ethics 5(2): 48-54.
Small, Mario L., and Jenna M. Cook. 2023. “Using Interviews to Understand Why: Challenges and Strategies in the Study of Motivated Action.” Sociological Methods & Research 52(4): 1591-1631.
Tavory, Iddo. 2020. “Interviews and Inference: Making Sense of Interview Data in Qualitative Research.” Qualitative Sociology 43:449-65.]
Scheper-Hughes, N. (1995). The primacy of the ethical: Propositions for a militant anthropology. Current anthropology, 36(3), 409-440.
Nancy Fraser, Kate Nash-Transnationalizing the Public Sphere-Polity (2014)
An Invitation to Reflexive Sociology, Pierre Bourdieu and Loïc J. D. Wacquant
Florea, I. (2016). The Ups and Downs of a Symbolic City:: The Architectural Heritage Protection Movement in Bucharest. In Urban grassroots movements in Central and Eastern Europe (pp. 55-78). Routledge.
Karalis Noel, T., Minematsu, A., & Bosca, N. (2023). Collective autoethnography as a transformative narrative methodology. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 22, 16094069231203944.

9. Corroborating the content of the discipline with the expectations of the epistemic community, professional associations and representative employers within the field of the program

By the end of the semester, students are expected to:

Understand key concepts related to data collection and analysis

Be familiar with the foundational principles of research design

Be acquainted with the main techniques of qualitative analysis	

10. Evaluation
Type of activity	10.1 Evaluation criteria	10.2 Evaluation methods	10.3 Share in the grade (%)	
10.4 Course	
Evaluation of expert knowledge taught in class. Assessment of exposure and clarity of expression level of specialized knowledge taught in class. 

	Oral exam	70%	
				
10.5 Seminar/lab activities	Seminar attendance*. Work in the seminars. 	In class presentation of homework	30%	
				
10.6 Minimum performance standards	
Prezenţa la seminarii este obligatorie, conform regulamentelor universităţii, în proporţie de 75%.
Notiunea de plagiat se defineste în conformitate cu normele Catedrei de Stiinte Politice a
Universitatii « Babes-Bolyai »:
(http://www.polito.ubbcluj.ro/polito/documente/reguli_plagiat.pdf)
Plagiatul si tentativa de frauda la examen se sanctioneaza cu nota 1 la acest curs si expunerea
cazului în sedinta Catedrei pentru luarea masurilor administrative corespunzatoare.
Frauda la examenul final se pedepseste cu eliminarea de la examen	

Date				Signature of course coordinator 	Signature of seminar coordinator
02.01. 2025		.........................................		............................................

Date of approval  					  Signature of the head of department	
...........................................					...........…............................