Introduction

This class provides an introduction to the course, both in terms of logistics and content. Please come to class having read the readings listed below and prepared to discuss both the readings and the following questions:

• What is research? What is the point of doing it?

• Why do we need research methods (and by extension, a course in it)?

• What is epistemology and why do we care?

  • Is it hypocritical to espouse social constructionist and post-positivist views and then do research?

• Is a separate science of man needed? Or could the social sciences be folded under biology?

• Is social science possible?

• Avoiding the trap of junk science and cargo cult science (btw, can you think of any examples? this could be one)

The format for today's class will be free-flowing discussion. Come prepared with a point of view on each of these questions.

Primary Readings

• Packer, M. J., & Goicoechea, J. (2000). Sociocultural and constructivist theories of learning: Ontology, not just epistemology. Educational psychologist, 35(4), 227-241. [pdf]

• Gilovich, T. 1991. How we know what isn't so. Free Press. pp 1-27. [online]

• Reynolds, P.C. 1991. "Bloody Stumps" in Stealing Fire: The Atomic Bomb as Symbolic Body. Palo Alto, CA: Iconic Anthropology Press. [pdf]

• fake news

• Wikipedia. Cargo cult science. [html]

• Presentation by Ajay Mehra

Secondary Readings (skim)

• Some definitions of science. [html]

• What science isn't. [html]

• Hunt, S. D. (1991). Positivism and paradigm dominance in consumer research: Toward critical pluralism and rapprochement. Journal of Consumer Research, 32-44. [pdf]

• Schnegg, M. 2014. Epistemology. In Bernard (ed) 1998. Handbook of Methods in Cultural Anthropology [pdf]

• Burrell & Morgan. [html]

If you're interested ...

• Sagan, C. The Demon-Haunted world. 1996. Read chap 2 Science and Hope [online]

• Tversky and Kahneman. [pdf]