Master in Social Sciences and Educational Sciences ... · data collection; mixed-method designs, triangulation. Reading list: ... Bryman, Alan (2012). Social Research Methods

Master in Social Sciences and Educational Sciences (Académique)

Version: 15 July 2018 Page 1 de 25

Semestre 1

CM (UE) TD (UE) ECTS

THEORY 12

"Epistemology" or Philosophical foundations of the (Social) Sciences 30 6

METHODS 18

Qualitative and Quantitative Social Science Methods 30 6

EDUCATION 18

Comparative Education and Internationalization 30 6

SOCIETY 18

Sociological "Classics" on Social Structure and Education 30 6

SKILLS 18

Research Atelier: Science and Epistemic Networks in GlobalEducation

30 6

Semestre 2


THEORY 12

Explaining Institutional Change in (Higher) Education 30 6

METHODS 18

Social Science Methods: Qualitative & Quantitative 30 6

Workshop: Methodological Challenges & Social Complexities ofInternational Comparative Research

10 2

SOCIETY 18

Sociological Classics in Social Inequality, Social Care & Education 30 4




International Conference: Transatlantic Dialogue - Creating HumanBonds through Cultural Diplomacy

10 2

EDUCATION 18

Visual and Material Culture in Education 30 6

SKILLS 18

Academic Writing Workshop (optionnel) 20 3

Semestre 3


METHODS 18

Research Design 28 6

EDUCATION 18

Insights into International Organizations 30 6

SOCIETY 18

Social Inequalities and Education 28 6

SKILLS 18

Academic Writing in English 28 6

THESIS PREPARATION 6

Thesis Preparation 28 6

Semestre 4


MASTER THESIS 30

Master Thesis 15 24

Master Thesis Preparation & Presentation 10 6





Semestre 1

"Epistemology" or Philosophical foundations of the (Social) Sciences

Module: THEORY (Semestre 1)

ECTS: 6

Course learningoutcomes:

On completion of the course a student should be able to

• understand the historical conditions determining "truth" and "knowledge"• detect the difference between the ideals of "objective facts" promoted in the natural

sciences and social and cultural constructions of knowledge• reflect their own situation as young academic researchers in a culturally diverse world

subjected to processes of globalization

Description: The major aim of the course is to provide students with perceptions of what "objective" or"academic" knowledge is – or is believed to be. A particular focus will be placed on the historicaltrajectories, starting from "systems of faith and truth" to "objective knowledge" and from there tocontemporary discussions on the mutual interdependency between "power" and "knowledge".Reading list:

Selection of recommended texts for preparation:

John Dewey (any edition). The Quest for Certainty, Chapters I-III. (original: 1929)

Carl L. Becker (2003). The Heavenly City of the Eighteenth Century Philosophers.New Haven,CT: Yale University Press (original: 1931)

Theodore M. Porter (1995). Trust in Numbers. The Pursuit of Objectivity in Science and PublicLife. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

Texts to be read in the seminar will be uploaded on the moodle platform.

Langue: Anglais

Obligatoire: Oui

Evaluation: Participation, in-course assessment

Professeur: TRÖHLER Daniel

Qualitative and Quantitative Social Science Methods

Module: METHODS (Semestre 1)

ECTS: 6




Student learning outcomes will include:

a) that students gain an understanding of the different logics of the quantitative and qualitativemethodologies, but also on how to combine these perspectives;

b) that students develop the capacity to derive research designs that are appropriate for theirresearch questions;

c) that students become aware of different methodological approaches; and

d) that students develop the capacity to evaluate and interpret research findings in the light ofpossible limitations of social science research methods.

Description: This seminar provides an introduction to social science r esearch methods. Questions of howanalyse social problems and theoretical issues are at the center of the social and educationalsciences. This methods course focuses on selected topics on quantitative and qualitativeresearch methods. Students will be able to enhance their research methods. The starting pointis an encounter into different logics of scientific discovery. Differences and similarities in regardto quantitative and the qualitative research methods will be discussed. In the second part ofthe course, we deal in detail with different stages of the research process. Towards the endof the term, mixed-method designs-options to triangulate qualitative and quantitative researchmethods-are explored. Methodological terminology and the issues behind them will be explainedusing many examples from actual research projects. Topics covered include: Quantitative undqualitative approaches: two different paradigms?; research processes, research questions,research designs (cross-sectional, longitudinal); population, sample, generalizability; modes ofdata collection; mixed-method designs, triangulation.Reading list:

Atteslander, Peter (2000). Methoden der empirischen Sozialforschung(9. Aufl.). Berlin/NewYork: de Gruyter.

Bryman, Alan (2012). Social Research Methods(4 thed.). Oxford: University Press.

Chambliss, Daniel F., and Russell K. Schutt (2012). Making Sense of the World. Methods ofInvestigation. London: Sage.

Diekmann, Andreas (2005). Empirische Sozialforschung. Grundlagen, Methoden,Anwendungen(13. Aufl.). Reinbek bei Hamburg: Rowohlt.

Mayring, Philipp (2007). Mixing qualitative and quantitative methods. In: Philipp Mayring, GünterL. Huber, Leo Gürtler, and Mechthild Kiegelmann (Eds.), Mixed Methodology in PsychologicalResearch(pp. 27-36). Rotterdam: Sense Publishers.

Silverman, David (2013). Doing Qualitative Research. London: Sage.

Langue: Anglais

Obligatoire: Oui

Evaluation: Participation, written exam (90 minutes)

Professeur: HADJAR Andreas, SAMUEL Robin, NEUMANN Sascha



Comparative Education and Internationalization

Module: EDUCATION (Semestre 1)

ECTS: 6


International Comparisons of Education SystemsThe seminar includes student-led presentations followed by in-depth discussions on a varietyof topics arising from the relevant literature. The seminar aimsa) t o equip students with a critical and advanced understanding of the international andcomparative context of education system development, b) to broaden students' horizonsthrough an analysis of a number of classic and contemporary texts in sociology of education,andc) to extend knowledge through the in-depth study and comparison of education systems.Comparing Education Systems, Welfare States, and Varieties of CapitalismThe seminar includes student-led presentations followed by in-depth discussions on a variety oftopics arising from the relevant literature. The seminar aimsa) t o equip students with a critical and advanced understanding of the international andcomparative context of welfare states and varieties of capitalism,b) to broaden students' horizons through an analysis of a number of classic and contemporarytexts in political economy, with a thorough grounding in political ideas, history and institutionsand their interaction,c) to extend their capabilities through the study of education systems as part of the above, andd) to provide an open and supportive learning environment by encouraging students to applygiven methods, draw on their own experiences, and a variety of case studies, and relate them.

Description: International Comparisons of Education SystemsIn this seminar, we will read both classical texts and contemporary contributions in thesociology of education to provide an overview of the potentials as well as the challengesthe field faces. As one of the broadest subfields in the discipline, the sociology of educationhas risen in importance with the tremendous expansion of schooling and further levels ofeducation. Recent worldwide phenomena such as the OECD-PISA studies, the Bologna processin higher education, and global competition in schooling and science emphasize the importanceof international comparisons. Thus, this seminar focuses on understanding similarities anddifferences in education systems across Europe and beyond. Discussing the institutionaldevelopment of these systems will allow seminar participants to analyze current Europeanizationprocesses and place their own country of origin in global context. The seminar will exposeparticipants to theoretical and methodological issues in internationally-comparative and historicalstudies of education systems. It will provide opportunities to investigate key issues in educationsystem and nation-state development as well as the influences of supranational governanceand international organizations. Taking an institutional approach, we will utilize Europe as alaboratory for studying the importance of the diffusion of ideas, norms, and policies - as well asnational and regional persistence .Reading list:Arum, Richard, & Irenee R. Beattie (2000): The Structure of Schooling. New York: McGraw-Hill.



Baker, David P. 2014. The Schooled Society: The Educational Transformation of Global Culture.Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.

Becker, Rolf (Ed.). (2011). Lehrbuch der Bildungssoziologie. Wiesbaden: VS Verlag fürSozialwissenschaften (in German).

Sadovnik, Alan R. 2007. Sociology of Education: A Critical Reader. London: Routledge.

Comparing Education Systems, Welfare States, and Varieties of CapitalismThis seminar is designed to provide students with a sound understanding of the main issuesthat arise from the study of political economy in relation to national systems of skill formation. Byanalysing welfare state regimes, the varieties of capitalism literature, and education systems, thiscourse is tailored to equip students with an advanced knowledge of and critical engagement withclassic and contemporary scholarly approaches to the impact of institutional arrangements onsocial outcomes. The dynamic interaction between education and welfare states (WS) / varietiesof capitalism (VoC) lies at the core of the analysis. By the end of the seminar, students will beable to draw on case studies from a number of sources, apply the respective key theoreticalconcepts and methods to well-defined problems, and begin to appreciate the complexities ofpolitical economy and education systems in comparative perspective.Reading list:Allmendinger, Jutta and Leibfried, Stephan (2003). 'Education and the Welfare State: the FourWorlds of Competence Production' in Journal of European Social Policy13, 63-81.

Bosch, Gerhard and Charest, Jean (2008). Vocational Training and Labour Market in Liberaland Coordinated Economies. Industrial Relations Journal39(5), 428-447.

Culpepper, P. D. & Thelen, K. (2008). Institutions and Collective Actors in the Provision ofTraining: Historical and Cross-National Comparisons. In Mayer, K. U. & Solga, H. (Eds.) SkillFormation: Interdisciplinary and Cross-National Perspectives. New York: Cambridge UniversityPress, Chapter 2.

Esping-Andersen, Gøsta (1990). The Three Worlds of Welfare Capitalism. Princeton: PrincetonUniversity Press.

Hall, Peter and Soskice, David (2001). Varieties of Capitalism: The Institutional Foundations ofComparative Advantage. Oxford: Oxford University Press, Chapter 1.

Van Kersbergen, Kees and Manow, Philip (2011). 'The welfare state' in Caramani, Daniele (ed.),Comparative Politics. Oxford: Oxford University Press, Chapter 21.

West, Anne and Nikolai, Rita (2013). 'Welfare regimes and education regimes: Equality ofopportunity and expenditure in the EU (and US)' in Journal of Social Policy42, 469-93.

Langue: Anglais

Obligatoire: Oui

Evaluation: Participation, presentations, written assignments

Professeur: POWELL Justin, MARQUES Marcelo



Sociological "Classics" on Social Structure and Education

Module: SOCIETY (Semestre 1)

ECTS: 6


The courses seeks to equip students with a classical critical and advanced understanding of howhierarchies are an intrinsic aspect of societal development and how they change over time. Itwill broaden students' horizons on comparative social sciences and contemporary internationaldebates and methods. It will extend their capabilities in social sciences research and improvetheir reading of quantitative results and their command of applied methodology.

Description: This course covers important fields of macrosociological analysis of social differentiationand inequality, from the deep origins (Aristotle) to the most contemporary debates, via theclassical Marxist and US stratification-oriented visions of the 20 thcentury. Based on thesecritical perspectives and theoretical understandings of inequality, the seminar then addressesits sources, its structures, its changes over time and variations among countries-and itsconsequences.

The focus will be on how classes and stratification patterns more generally shape the innerstructures of society. Notions such as differentiation, inequality, and intersectionality areanalysed to understand better how scarce resources, such as income and education, can shapecleavages that are distinct or overlapping with categorical sources of potential inequality, fromethnicity and gender to age groups versus generations, etc.).

A key perspective will be on international comparisons, including comparative welfare regime analysis, e.g., Esping-Andersen's Three Worlds of Welfare Capitalism that has been animportant milestone in comparative sociology, public/social policy, inequality/stratification, work,and social change.Examining the (generally negative) consequences of inequality-such as crime, decline in politicalparticipation, blockage of social mobility channels, waste in terms of human development, poorhealth conditions and disability, and so forth-we will analyse contemporary trends of inequalitythat are spreading today worldwide.

Reading List:A. Required

English: Grusky, David B. 2007. "Theories of Stratification and Inequality." Pp. 4801-4810 inEncyclopedia of Sociology, edited by George Ritzer. Oxford: Basil Blackwell (an abstract of DavidB. Grusky (ed.) 2008. Social Stratification: Class, Race, and Gender in Sociological Perspective,Boulder, CO: Westview Press.)

Esping-Andersen, Gøsta. 1990. The Three Worlds of Welfare Capitalism. Princeton: PrincetonUniversity Press.

For readers of German: Solga, Heike, Justin Powell, and Peter A. Berger (Eds.) 2009. SozialeUngleichheit. Klassische Texte zur Sozialstrukturanalyse, Frankfurt am Main/New York: CampusVerlag (Introduction, pp: 11-45).



B. Recommended

Grusky, David B. (Ed.) 2008. Social Stratification: Class, Race, and Gender in SociologicalPerspective, Boulder, CO: Westview Press.

Chauvel, Louis. 2006. "Are social classes really dead? A French paradox in class dynamics",pp. 295-317 in Göran Therborn (Ed.), Inequalities of the World, London: Verso.

Chauvel, Louis. forthcoming. "Between welfare state retrenchments, globalization, and decliningreturns to credentials: The French middle classes under stress," in Katherine S. Newman (ed.),Middle Class at Risk .

Langue: Anglais

Obligatoire: Oui


Professeur: BACH-HOENIG Barbara

Research Atelier: Science and Epistemic Networks in Global Education

Module: SKILLS (Semestre 1)

ECTS: 6

Langue: Anglais

Obligatoire: Oui

Professeur: POWELL Justin, ZAPP Mike



Semestre 2

Explaining Institutional Change in (Higher) Education

Module: THEORY (Semestre 2)

ECTS: 6


Learning Outcomes:By the end of the seminar, students will be able to draw on case studies from a number ofsources, apply the respective key theoretical concepts and methods to well-defined problems,and begin to appreciate the complexities and insights of comparative education in an era ofglobalization.

Description: Description:This seminar provides readings and discussion on institutional change in (higher) educationsystems, especially historically and internationally comparative studies. Following a) historical,b) discursive and c) sociological institutionalist approaches, we will explore both the process,causes and effects of change. In a) historical institutionalism, we will get to know the traditionalmodel of path dependence, which allows for institutional change in the case of exogenous shocksand critical junctures, as well as concepts of gradual institutional change. The latter describe arange of gradual modes of change that can nevertheless add up to transformation over time.In b) discursive institutionalism, change is explained by the interaction of various policy actorsusing a number of strategies to set the agenda and trigger transformation. In c) sociologicalinstitutionalism, we will focus on cultural-cognitive factors impacting on education. These areoften operating in the environment of education system and lead to growing cross-nationalsimilarities or isomorphism.Concepts such as these are useful to grasp how education systems, which are generally said tobe highly path dependent given their embeddedness in global and national socio-economic andcultural contexts, can nevertheless display surprising transformations. The systematic analysisof change processes in education systems will be further sharpened through an explicitlycomparative lens and the thematic attention to internationalization of (higher) education. Thisallows us, for instance, to understand better which factors lie at the core of such transformations– or in some cases stability despite changing environmental conditions.Reading List:Boli, J., Ramirez, F. O. & Meyer, J. W. (1985) Explaining the Origins and Expansion of MassEducation. Comparative Education Review, 29, 2: 145-170.Campbell, J.L. (2002) Ideas, Politics, and Public Policy.Annual Review of Sociology 28: 21–38.Campbell, J.L. (2004) Institutional Change and Globalization. Princeton, NJ: Princeton UniversityPress.Capano, G. & Piattoni, S. (2011). From Bologna to Lisbon: the political uses of the Lisbon 'script'in European higher education policy. Journal of European Public Policy, 18(4): 584-606.Dobbins, M. & Knill, C. (2014). Higher Education Governance and Policy Change in WesternEurope. International Challenges to Historical Institutions. Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan.Hall, P.A., Taylor, R. Political Science and the Three New Institutionalisms. Political Studies.1996; XLIV :936-957.



Mahoney, J. & K. Thelen (eds.). Explaining Institutional Change. Ambiguity, Agency and Power.Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Meyer, J.W., Ramirez, F.O. & Soysal, Y. (1992) World Expansion of Mass Education, 1870-1970.Sociology of Education, 65(2): 128-149.Ramirez, F.O. & Boli, J. (1987) The Political Construction of Mass Schooling: European Originsand Worldwide Institutionalization. Sociology of Education, 60, 1: 2-17.Schmidt, V. (2008) Discursive Institutionalism: The Explanatory Power of Ideas and Discourse.Annual Review of Political Science, 11: 303-326.Schmidt, V. (2010). Taking ideas and discourse seriously: explaining change through discursiveinstitutionalism as the fourth 'new institutionalism'. European Political Science Review, 2(1):1-125.Schofer, E. & Meyer, J.W. (2005) The Worldwide Expansion of Higher Education in the TwentiethCentury. American Sociological Review, 70: 898-920.Thelen, K. (1999). Historical Institutionalism in Comparative Politics. Annual Review of PoliticalScience, 2(1): 369-404.

Langue: Anglais

Obligatoire: Oui

Evaluation: Evaluation:Participation, presentations, written assignments

Professeur: POWELL Justin, MARQUES Marcelo, ZAPP Mike

Social Science Methods: Qualitative & Quantitative


ECTS: 6


Student learning outcomes will include:

· a) that students gain an understanding of the complementary use of quantitative and qualitativemethodologies;

· b) that students develop the capacity to design research appropriate for their researchquestions;

· c) that students advance their methodological skills through practice using statistical software;and

· d) that students develop the capacity to evaluate and interpret research findings reflecting thelimits of social science research methods and particular datasets.

Description: This seminar will begin with a general block on comparative methods: why compare, what tocompare, how to compare. The comparative method, according to Durkheim, is "the" methodof sociology. The seminar provides an introduction to comparative strategies and methods,particular those used in cross-national comparison of modern welfare states and marketeconomies. In the seminar, the different quantitative and qualitative methods and strategies willbe discussed. The seminar begins with an overview of the traditional approaches to historical



and comparative sociology (Durkheim, Weber) and the differences in current research practicebetween variable-and case-oriented sociological analysis. Comparative welfare state analysesand the varieties of capitalism perspective use macro-comparative typologies to explain cross-national differences, using both qualitative and quantitative methods to explore cross-nationaldifferences.

The rest of the course consists of a block applying research methods, focusing especially onthe analysis of PISA data using the statistical package STATA. On the one hand, it will consistof some methodological input in regard to the most common data analysis techniques in thesocial and educational sciences. On the other hand, the course includes practical elements.After dealing with descriptive analysis and tapping on issues of statistical uncertainty, bivariatedata analysis techniques are introduced and exercised. The last part of the course focuses onregression analysis (OLS, logit) as the 'silver bullet' in social science research.Reading list:

Ebbinghaus, Bernhard (2005). "When Less is More: Selection Problems in Large-N and Small-N Cross-National Comparison," International Sociology 20(2):133-152.

Sartori, Giovanni (1994). "Compare Why and How: Comparing, Miscomparing and theComparative Method", in: M. Dogan & A. Kazancigil (Eds.) Comparing Nations Concepts,Strategies, Substance.Oxford: Blackwell, 14-34.

Smelser, Neil (1976). Comparative Methods in the Social Sciences, Engelwood Cliffs, NJ:Prentice Hall ("Programs of Comparative Sociology: Emil Durkheim and Max Weber"), 38-71.

Texts to be read in the seminar will be uploaded on the moodle platform.

Langue: Anglais

Obligatoire: Oui


Professeur: HADJAR Andreas, SAMUEL Robin, CHAUVEL Louis

Workshop: Methodological Challenges & Social Complexities of InternationalComparative Research


ECTS: 2


Learning Outcomes:The workshop addresses challenges, provides an overview of methodological tools, andgathers ground rules and quality criteria for comparative research as they have beendefined in different interdisciplinary fields and (sub-)disciplinary comparative research fields(comparative politics, comparative (higher) education, comparative media and communicationstudies as well comparative sociology). Thus, it helps (early) career researchers to makeinformed and explicit choices regarding their approach to comparison and to improve thequality and impact of their comparative research studies. In addition to specific methodological



complications of comparative research, students will gain insights to the social complexity ofresearch teams and collaborative research, which poses additional multifaceted challengesand calls for reflection regarding aspects of cooperation and the division of labor; projectmanagement; team dynamics; data ownership and publication strategies.

Description: Description:Social science researchers who plan or are involved in an international comparative researchproject are faced with conceptual choices and methodological and practical questions that donot concern non-comparative projects. Although international comparative research does notdiffer in its logic from research undertaken within a country and making comparisons amongunits is a crucial aspect of any scientific analysis, such designs are more complex and someproblems are posed in an especially complicated and intractable fashion. Also the principlesapplied in any good research design – validity, reliability and plausibility and its equivalencesfor qualitative research (neutrality, intersubjective comprehensibility, procedural and intercoderreliability) – are more difficult to achieve in international comparative research. To a large extent,challenges occur along the steps of the empirical research process related to different mattersof equivalence (equivalence of the research design, conceptual equivalence, and operationaland interpretive equivalence). These partly cut across methodological approaches and are"global challenges" (regardless of a comparative focus on European countries, OECD countriesor even developing countries), but are partly also method-specific (depending on whetherreactive or nonreactive methods, qualitative, quantitative methods or Mixed-Methods are used).Funding bodies and policy imperatives increasingly favor comparative collaborative research.Stimulated also by internationalization and globalization processes, researchers increasinglyfind themselves participating or even leading international collaborative comparative projects.In such project, and in addition to specific methodological complications, the social complexityof research teams and collaborative research bears additional multifaceted challenges andcalls for a reflection of aspects of cooperation, team dynamics as well as data ownership andpublication strategies. But both – methodological and social challenges – are discussed rarely inresearch practice. Instead, researchers and research teams often find themselves "reinventingthe wheel" (or, worse, repeating others' mistakes) with the consequence that empirical studiesmight lack elaborate methodological preciseness.

Preparatory Reading:Hantrais, L. (2009). International Comparative Research: Theory, Methods and Practice.Basingstoke, UK:Palgrave Macmillan, 1-21.

Langue: Anglais

Obligatoire: Oui

Evaluation: Evaluation:Active participation; development of an internationally comparative research design

Professeur: POWELL Justin

Sociological Classics in Social Inequality, Social Care & Education




ECTS: 4


Learning Outcomes:The course seeks to equip students with a critical and advanced understanding of sociologicalapproaches in conceptualizing and understanding societies. It will broaden students' horizonson different theoretical positions and their impact on contemporary international debates andmethods. It will extend their capabilities in social sciences research and improve their readingof theories.

Description: Description:This seminar will reflect the intersections of theoretical, epistemological stances, and empiricalmethods of producing and analyzing data. It aims at stimulating to think about the ways inwhich classical sociological theories are relevant to analyze societies today. The idea is toexperience "theories in action" and by this to discuss main differences as well as traditions anddevelopments of sociological discourses on society. Building on the readings and discussionsof the previous classes, this course will focus on current debates and issues of high importancefor contemporary societies. We will deal mainly with two topics: questions concerning a) socialcare and b) social inequalities. Social inequality will be discussed by studying the causes andconsequences of the unequal distribution of power, prestige, and wealth. We will examine theideas and theories used to defend and criticize inequality and we will discuss empirical studiesthat deal with social inequality and education. Social Care will be discussed in a broader sense,especially in reference to notions of democracy and citizenship. Debates on the organizationand internationalization of care work and the consequences for societies will be contrasted bysolutions and care arrangements different welfare states propose for the organization of socialcare.This seminar includes active participation and different roles, including acting as a journalistand contributing to the Conference Proceedings that will be published in late 2017), in the4th Transatlantic Dialogue Luxembourg "Creating Human Bonds through Cultural Diplomacy".This large international event will take place at Campus Belval and select other locations inLuxembourg, 24-26 May 2017. In particular, issues of diversity and human rights, (higher)education, and sustainable development will be of relevance to the MASSES curriculum. Thispart of the course will receive 2 ECTS points and be coordinated by Marcelo Marques and JustinPowell.Reading List:Daly, M., Lewis, J. (2000). The concept of social care and the analysis of contemporary welfarestates, British Journal of Sociology Vol. No. 51 Issue No. 2 (June 2000) pp. 281–298.England, P. (2005). Emerging theories of care work, Annual Review of Sociology, 2005. 31:381–99, doi: 10.1146/annurev.soc.31.041304.122317Lutz, H. (2012). Care Workers, Care Drain, and Care Chains: Reflections on Care, Migration,and Citizenship. Social Politics (Spring 2012) 19 (1): 15-37. doi: 10.1093/sp/jxr026Peng, Y., Wong, O.M.H. (2015). Who Takes Care of My Left-Behind Children? Migrant Mothersand Caregivers in Transnational Child Care, Journal of Family Issues, 1-24Tronto, Joan C. (2010). Creating Caring Institutions: Politics, Plurality, and Purpose. Ethics &Social Welfare. Jul2010, Vol. 4 Issue 2, p158-171. 14p.Schröer, W. & Tuider, E. (2011). Transnational Care-The Dissolution of Care in the Second Modernity. Transnational Social Review: A Social WorkJournal Volume 1(1): 15-24.

Langue: Anglais

Obligatoire: Oui

Evaluation: Evaluation:



Participation; written assignments (discussion papers)

Professeur: PETERS Ursula, SAMUEL Robin

International Conference: Transatlantic Dialogue - Creating Human Bonds throughCultural Diplomacy


ECTS: 2


Learning Outcomes:The conference will broaden students' horizons via the participation in a range of academic,cultural, and social activities in one of the major international, cross-cultural events takingplace in the Grand Duchy this year. Acting as academic journalists, in conjunction with theAcademic Writing course (Skills Module) will extend their capabilities in writing and translatingcontents presented in the settings of international conferences.

Description: Description:"More than ever before, cultural diplomacy has a vital role to play in international relations,enabling us to appreciate and promote points of intersectionality and common bonds. Bridgingdifferences begins with approaching others with the will to acknowledge and understand theirand our own cultural identities and 'othernesses'. Universities have a key role to play in thisregard and presenters will offer multiple perspectives on how this can be achieved."https://transatlanticdialogue2017.uni.lu/This seminar in the "SOCIETY" Module features active conference participation and differentroles, including acting as a journalist and contributing to the Conference Proceedings that willbe published in late 2017), in the Fourth Transatlantic Dialogue Luxembourg "Creating HumanBonds through Cultural Diplomacy".This large international event will take place at Campus Belval and select other locations inLuxembourg, 24–27. May 2017. In particular, issues of diversity and human rights, (higher)education, and sustainable development will be of relevance to the MASSES curriculum. Thispart of the Module will receive 2 ECTS points and be coordinated by Marcelo Marques andJustin Powell.Glossary:Cultural Diplomacy refers in its original sense to the projection by governmental agents, i.e.diplomats, of their countries' cultural values and achievements to the rest of the world. Nowadays,civil society and private sector agencies also consider the cultural relations they promote to bea form of cultural diplomacy. The term is now increasingly used as a synonym for internationalcultural relations.International Cultural Relations is an umbrella term referring to the fostering of understandingbetween countries and especially their peoples. Such relations seek to engage in dialoguewith a much broader public than is the case with cultural diplomacy. They may result fromspecific government or cultural institute policies, or may grow organically without governmentintervention. Generally, cultural relations present a more "rounded" picture of a country asopposed to cultural diplomacy approaches, which tend to emphasize the presentation of positiveimages.

Langue: Anglais



Obligatoire: Oui

Evaluation: Evaluation:Participation, panel support (moderation) and guest guidance, written assignments


Visual and Material Culture in Education


ECTS: 6


Learning Outcomes:Students will learn to (1) clarify the recent shifts within the human and social sciences; (2)explain key concepts, methods and theories of material and visual studies in education;(3) apply these conceptual, methodological and theoretical tools while conducting concretecase studies; (4) reflect critically on the school's intangible cultural values and beliefs as'represented' and 'conveyed by' the visual and material landscapes of education.

Description: Description:During the last decades there has emerged a renewed interest within the human andsocial sciences in 'culture' (cultural turn), and in the role of the 'visual' (pictorial turn) andthe 'material' (material turn) within the 'circuit of culture', comprising processes such asrepresentation, identity construction, production, consumption, etc. (Du Gay et al. 1997/2003).In line with these developments, this course provides a first introduction to a wide range oftheories and methodologies for the study of visual and material cultural expressions in formaland non-formal learning/teaching settings (e.g. schools and museums) and the ways in whichthese expressions (may) represent, generate and communicate knowledge, norms, values andidentities. Throughout the semester we will examine a variety of concrete visual and material'symbols and signs' – e.g. school architecture, classroom setting, murals, school banners anduniforms, museum designs -, all of which infuse meaning making and, as such, influence thethoughts, motivation and behaviour of various audiences. In other words, the seminar will dealwith questions such as: What does it mean to wear a school uniform? How can school buildingsreflect community values? How does a dilapidated, dirty, or poorly landscaped school influencestaff and pupils? How does the design of school desks and classroom arrangements impact onpupils and teachers' behaviour? How do children interpret a neglected and small school librarythat is in contrast to a big gym in the centre of school? "Schools have a panoply of these symbolsand signs scattered throughout classrooms, hallways, and gathering places. This rich mix ofsymbolic artefacts makes schools either meaningful sanctuaries for students and celebrationsof accomplishment, or dead and empty vessels of bureaucratic control" (Deal & Peterson 2009,34). The overall objective of the course is to bring symbols, signs and associated 'rituals' to thesurface and to foster new ways of seeing and researching the visual and material culture withinschools that might otherwise remain hidden and be overlooked (Burke, Howard & Cunningham2013).Reading List:Burke, Catherine; Howard, Jeremy & Cunningham, Peter (eds.) (2013). The Decorated School.Essays on the Visual Culture of Schooling. London: Black Dog Publishing.Burke, Catherine & Grosvenor, Ian (2008). School. London: Reaktion Books.



Burke, Catherine & Grosvenor, Ian (2015). The School I'd Like: Revisited. Children and youngpeople's reflections on an education for the future (2nd edition). London: Routledge. Braster, Sjaak; Grosvenor, Ian & del Mar del Pozo Andrès, Maria (eds.) (2011). The Black Boxof Schooling. A Cultural History of the Classroom. Bruxelles: Peter Lang.Darian-Smith, Kate & Willis, Julie (eds.) (2017). Designing Schools. Space, Place and Pedagogy.London: Routledge.Deal, Terrence E. & Peterson, Kent D. (2009). Shaping School Culture. Pitfalls, Paradoxes, &Promises (2nd edition). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.Dussel, Inès (2001). 'School Uniforms and the Disciplining of Appearances: Towards a Historyof the Regulation of Bodies in Modern Educational Systems', in Thomas S. Popkewitz; BarryM. Franklin & Miguel A. Pereyra (eds.). Cultural History and Education. Critical Essays onKnowledge and Schooling, pp. 207-241, London: RoutledgeFalmer.Grosvenor, Ian; Dussel, Inés; Kesere, Iveta; Priem, Karin; Rosén Rasmusen Lisa & Van Gorp,Angelo (2016). We Seek Revelation With Our Eyes: Enganging With School Cultures ThroughMontage, Encounters in Theory and History of Education, 17, 2-16.Gutman, Marta & de Coninck-Smith, Ning (eds.) (2008). Designing Modern Childhoods. History,Space, and Material Culture of Children. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers U. Press.Novoa, Antonio (2001). 'Texts, Images, and Memories: Writing "New" Histories of Education',in Thomas S. Popkewitz; Barry M. Franklin & Miguel A. Pereyra (eds.). Cultural History andEducation. Critical Essays on Knowledge and Schooling, pp. 45-66, London: RoutledgeFalmer.Priem, Karin; König, Gudrun M. & Casale, Rita (eds.) (2012). Die Materialita¨t der Erziehung:Kulturelle und soziale Aspekte pa¨dagogischer Objekte. Weinheim & Basel: Beltz.

Langue: Anglais

Obligatoire: Oui

Evaluation: Evaluation:Participation, presentations, written assignments

Professeur: HERMAN Frederik, PRIEM Karin

Academic Writing Workshop


ECTS: 3


Learning Outcomes:Improve facility in writing in English.

Description: Description:This course is designed for students currently writing various assignments (different lengthsand formats) and preparing to write an MA dissertation in their final year. The focus will be onfrequent production of writing to develop texts that are clearly structured and use an appropriateacademic style and clear authorial voice. Participants will work on adding accuracy, clarity andconviction to their academic writing in English. They will have the opportunity to work on their ownwriting during sessions and will gain regular feedback on their work. Peer review will be integralto the course, with constructive criticism and collaborative critique taking place in a supportiveenvironment. In addition to addressing participants' needs as they arise, some of the sessionswill examine aspects of the following areas: the writing process, argumentation, writing style,



paragraph structure and overall cohesion, grammatical and lexical accuracy, referencing, andincorporating and applying concepts and theories in the students' subject area.Some specific sections of the course will include:• The writing process – Consolidating effective writing strategies. Preparation, production,reviewing, and editing.• Argumentation – Developing and sustaining coherent arguments, developing a confidentauthorial voice, using convincing language, describing your own work convincingly.• Writing style – Using appropriate tone and formality, enlarging your vocabulary and varietyof sentence structures, reducing wordiness.• Paragraph structure and overall cohesion.• Accuracy - Grammar and language suitable for this level with emphasis on appropriateacademic expression and the correct use of punctuation, tense, etc. Avoiding common errorsin grammar and expression.• Referencing – appropriate use of direct quotations, paraphrasing, summarising, literaturereview, effective use of signal phrases. Adhering to citation conventions.• incorporation and appropriate use of key concepts and theories in your field.Reading List:ASA Style Guide, www.asanet.orgBecker, Howard S. 2007. Writing for Social Scientists: How to Start and Finish Your Thesis,Book, or Article (Second Edition). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.Becker, Howard S. 1998. Tricks of the Trade: How to Think about Your Research While You'reDoing It. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.Booth, Wayne C., Gregory G. Colomb, and Joseph M. Williams. 2008. The Craft of Research(Third Edition). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.Hindle, Tim. 1998. Making Presentations. London: Dorling Kindersley.Swales, John M. & Christine B. Feak. 2012. Academic Writing for Graduate Students. Ann Arbor:University of Michigan Press.

Langue: Anglais

Obligatoire: Non

Evaluation: Evaluation:Participation, presentation, written assignments

Professeur: VAN DEN EEDE Kristin



Semestre 3

Research Design


ECTS: 6


Learning Outcomes:The students will explore the variety of these methods during the semester and gain advancedknowledge in deciding which methodological design may be appropriate for investigatingtheir research question(s). The seminar also intends to support the participants in preparing aresearch design applicable in the context of their master's theses.

Description: Description:This seminar focuses on general perspectives and strategies in comparative methods,addressing the questions why compare, what to compare, and how to compare. The seminarprovides an introduction to comparative strategies and methods, particularly those used incross-national comparison. In the seminar, the different quantitative and qualitative methodsand strategies will be discussed. By reading the provided literature, the seminar elaborates theresearch process and discusses methodological questions involved. The seminar begins withan overview of the traditional approaches to historical and comparative sociology, differences incurrent research practices, and the selection of a research design. Quantitative and qualitativestrategies are used to explain cross-national differences on various levels of analysis.Reading List:Sartori, Giovanni (1994). Compare Why and How: Comparing, Miscomparing and theComparative Method. IN Dogan, M. & Kazancigil (Eds.) Comparing Nations Concepts,Strategies, Substance. Oxford: Blackwell, 14-34 (reprint of Journal of Theoretical Politics 1991).Cresswell, John W. (2009). The Selection of a Research Design. IN ibid Research Design:Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches. Los Angeles: Sage, 3-21.Ebbinghaus, Bernhard (2005). When Less is More: Selection Problems in Large-N and Small-NCross-National Comparison. International Sociology, 20(2): 13-152.Mahoney, James (2003). Strategies of Causal Assessment in Comparative Historical Analysis.IN Mahoney, J. & Rueschemeyer, D. (Eds.) Comparative Historical Analysis in the SocialSciences. New York: Cambridge University Press, 337-372.Smelser, Neil (1976). Programs of Comparative Sociology: Emil Durkheim and Max Weber. INibid Comparative Methods in the Social Sciences. Engelwood Cliffs: Prentice Hall, 38-71.Schriewer, Jürgen (2006). Introductory Article: Comparative Social Science: CharacteristicProblems and Changing Problem Solutions (Special Issue: Comparative Methodologies in theSocial Sciences: Cross-Disciplinary Inspirations). Comparative Education, 42(3): 299-336.

Langue: Anglais

Obligatoire: Oui

Evaluation: Evaluation:Active participation, weekly excerpts/notes, one discussion paper and brief presentation ofthe week's literature; written assignment: 5-7 page seminar paper on research design andcomparative methods, which will be used for the thesis exposé.



Professeur: DUSDAL Jennifer

Insights into International Organizations


ECTS: 6


The seminar features preparation of, participation in, and reflection of site visits and discussionswith actors in international organizations. Students will gain an insider's view of educationpolicymaking and programming as well as European supranational governance.

Description: This seminar will focus on the institutional environ¬ments, organizational goals and structures,and programs and practices of international organizations involved in educational developmentglobally. We will pay particular attention to internationalization and the impact of influentialorganizations through various normative and regulative governance instruments. The seminarfeatures site visits, presentations, and discussions as sources of insights into education andsocial policymaking and the types of evidence upon which recommendations are made andindicators are used to monitor development. The study tour features the European Court ofJustice as a particularly prominent regulative actor in policymaking.

Reading List:A. RequiredBaker, David P. (2014) The Schooled Society:The Educational Transformation of Global Culture.Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.Deacon, B. & Ortiz, I. & Zelenev, S. (2007)Regional Social Policy. DESA Working Paper 37.European Court of Justice (2017) Info-Curio Case Law Subject 'Education': http://curia.europa.eu/juris/ liste.jsf?cid=1367095Finnemore, M. (1993) International Organizations as Teachers of Norms: the United NationsEducational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization and Science Policy. International Organization47(4): 565-597.Martens, K. (2007) How to become an Influential Actor – the 'Comparative Turn' in OECDEducation Policy. In: Martens, K.; Rusconi, A. & Leuze, K. (eds) New Arenas of EducationGovernance – The Impact of International Organisations and Markets on EducationalPolicymaking. Basingstoke: Palgrave, 40-56.Meyer, Heinz-Dieter & Aaron Benavot (2013) Introduction. PISA, Power, and Policy: TheEmergence of Global Educational Governance, pp. 9-26. Oxford, UK: Symposium.Meyer, J.W. et al. (1997) World Society and the Nation-State. American Journal of Sociology,103, 1: 144-181.Murphy, M. (2003) Covert action? Education, social policy and law in the European Union,Journal of Education Policy Vol. 18 , Iss. 5.OECD Country Reports: Belgium, Germany, Norway, UK: www.oecd-ilibrary.org/education;www.oecd.org/ edu/education-at-a-glance-2014-country-notes.htmSellar, S. & B. Lingard. 2014. The OECD and the Expansion of PISA: New Global Modes ofGovernance in Education. British Educational Research Journal 40(6): 917-936.



Threlfall, M. (2006) The European Union and Social Policy: an Innovative Approach to RegionalIntegration?. UNO-CRIS Occasional Papers (14).Yeates, N. (2008) The Idea of Global Social Policy. In: Yeates, N. (ed.) Understanding GlobalSocial Policy. Bristol: Policy Press, 1-25.B. RecommendedBarnett, M. & Finnemore, M. (2004) Rules for the World: International Organizations in GlobalPolitics. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press.Kallo, J. (2006) Soft Governance and Hard Values:A Review of OECD Operational Processes within Educational Policy and Relations with MemberStates. In: Kallo, J. & Rinne, R. (eds) Supranational Regimes and National Education Policies.Turku: Finnish Educational Research Association, 261-352.

Langue: Anglais

Obligatoire: Oui

Evaluation: Participation in the seminar and conferences (1.5 days), presentation of one internationalorganization (15 min.), field work (site visits), written assignments (2-page field reportobservations and 10-page policy brief, due Monday, December 1 at 5pm via email to docents).

Professeur: ZAPP Mike, DUSDAL Jennifer

Social Inequalities and Education


ECTS: 6


Learning Outcomes:This course seeks to equip students with a critical and advanced understanding of sociologicaldebates and methodological tools with which to analyze educational and social inequalities. Itwill extend their capabilities in social science research and give them the tools to use for theirown examinations of contemporary problems and policies in European welfare states.

Description: Description:Building on the readings and discussions of the previous courses in the Society module,this course will focus on reading, analyzing, and replicating contemporary studies on socialinequalities and education. Social inequality will be discussed by studying the causes andconsequences of the unequal distribution of power, prestige, income and wealth. We will discussthe ideas and theories used to defend and criticize inequality and we will examine empiricalstudies that deal with social inequality and education.The course consists of three parts. In the first part, we will review the fundamental principles formeasuring inequality, examine the main empirical indicators and we will discuss how economistsand social scientists have looked at inequality and education relationship. In the second part,we will look at consequences of social and educational inequalities in terms of subjective well-being and health. The third part looks at key issues in inequality research.



A special feature of the course is the linkage to the Luxembourg Seminar on Social Inequalitiesand Public Policies (SEMILUX) that take place at the Luxembourg Institute of Socio-EconomicResearch (LISER), also housed in the Maison des Sciences Humaines. For events archive, seeSEMILUX series:https://wwwen.uni.lu/recherche/flshase/inside/research_institutes/pearl_institute_for_research_on_socio_economic_inequality_irsei/semilux_seminarsReading List:Grusky, David B. and Szonja Szelényi, eds. (2011). The Inequality Reader: Contemporary andFoundational Readings in Race, Class, and Gender. Boulder, CO: Westview Press.Nolan, Brian, Weimar Salverda, and Timothy M. Smeeding, eds. (2009). Oxford Handbook onEconomic Inequality. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Langue: Anglais

Obligatoire: Oui

Evaluation: Evaluation:Participation, presentations, written assignments. Students will be expected to prepare all of thecourse readings and to participate in class discussions. The course evaluation builds on threeelements:1. Each of the three parts of this course will be evaluated by a short essay, where studentsare expected to demonstrate their engagement with the content covered in the respective part.Details and deadlines of this part of the course evaluation will be presented in the first meetingon the 3rd of October. This part of the evaluation will contribute 30% to the final grade.2. Students will have to write a 10-page working paper where they review literature and/oranalyse and describe data in relation to the course topics (only individual papers, no group workallowed). Deadline: 7th of January 2018, 11:59:59 pm. This part of the evaluation will contribute40% to the final grade.3. After the exam period, students will present their working paper to a jury comprised of thecourse docents. Prior to this day, every student is entitled to a one-hour meeting where s/he willget feedback from one of the course docents on how to improve the working paper (see above).This part of the evaluation will contribute 30% to the final grade.

Professeur: CHAUVEL Louis, SAMUEL Robin, VAN KERM Philippe

Academic Writing in English


ECTS: 6


Learning Outcomes:Improve facility in (academic) writing in English.Revise and edit writing for accuracy and appropriateness. Produce coherent and unifiedparagraphs with adequate support and detail.

Description: Description:This course is designed for students currently writing various assignments (different lengthsand formats) and preparing to write an MA dissertation in their final year. The focus will be onfrequent production of writing to develop texts that are clearly structured and use an appropriateacademic style and clear authorial voice. Participants will continue to work on adding accuracy,



clarity and conviction to their academic writing in English. They will have the opportunity to workon their own writing during sessions and will gain regular feedback on their work. Peer reviewwill be integral to the course, with constructive criticism and collaborative critique taking placein a supportive environment. In addition to responding to participants' needs as they arise andworking on the writing process (preparation, production, reviewing, editing), our workshops willaddress aspects of the following areas:• Argumentation – Developing and sustaining coherent arguments; developing a confidentauthorial voice; using convincing academic language.• Academic writing style – Identifying and using an appropriate level of formal register in writtentexts; using a variety of sentence structure and vocabulary; writing clearly and concisely.• Accuracy – Reducing frequency of common errors in grammar and expression; improvingaccuracy in punctuation and tenses; identifying common faux amis; enlarging vocabulary;detecting nuance.• Research Skills – Synthesising information from a variety of sources; integrating students'own ideas with those of others; adhering to citation conventions.

Reading List:ASA Style Guide, www.asanet.orgBecker, Howard S. 2007. Writing for Social Scientists: How to Start and Finish Your Thesis,Book, or Article (Second Edition). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.Becker, Howard S. 1998. Tricks of the Trade: How to Think about Your Research While You'reDoing It. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.Booth, Wayne C., Gregory G. Colomb, and Joseph M. Williams. 2008. The Craft of Research(Third Edition). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.Swales, John M. & Christine B. Feak. 2012. Academic Writing for Graduate Students. Ann Arbor:University of Michigan Press.

Langue: Français

Obligatoire: Oui

Evaluation: Evaluation:Participation, preparation, and review of written assignments.

Professeur: O'FLAHERTY Ailbhe

Thesis Preparation

Module: THESIS PREPARATION (Semestre 3)

ECTS: 6


Learning Outcomes:The seminar features a workshop space to test ideas, discuss potential research questions,and begin conducting preliminary empirical analyses in preparation for the research andwriting of the thesis.

Description: Description:Collaboratively with the Methods module course "Research Design" and the Skills module courseon "Academic Writing in English," the activities of the "Thesis Preparation" seminar will facilitatethe development of the thesis topic, theory selection, research questions, and empirical data



collection. In this course, we will use peer review and group discussions to constructively critiqueeach other's ideas, analyses, and writings. In small groups or tandems, you will give each otherfeedback on potential topics. Finally, preparing a presentation of the thesis topic and researchdesign and writing a comprehensive thesis exposé (10-12 pages) will conclude the seminar.On November 14, there will be a first group discussion of potential topics and on December 14(with docents/ mentors), we will have our Colloquium in which each student will present her/histhesis topic in a 15-minute presentation. On the basis of the feedback from the potential thesisadvisor and this colloquium, a 10-12 page thesis exposé (integrating research design) will bewritten as a guide for the fourth, concluding semester. The themes of individual sessions will be:Topic selection, literature review, theory discussion, research questions, data and methods (andtriangulation), and implications for research and policymaking.Reading List:Texts and the official Thesis Writing Guides will be provided on Moodle and/or distributed in printthroughout the course.

Langue: Anglais

Obligatoire: Oui

Evaluation: Evaluation:Participation, presentations, thesis exposé (10-12 pages) due Friday, 9 February 2018 by 17:00via email to Justin Powell and the docent(s) who will mentor you.




Semestre 4

Master Thesis

Module: MASTER THESIS (Semestre 4)

ECTS: 24

Langue: Anglais

Obligatoire: Oui


Master Thesis Preparation & Presentation

Module: MASTER THESIS (Semestre 4)

ECTS: 6

Langue: Anglais

Obligatoire: Oui


Documents

Master in Social Sciences and Educational Sciences ... · data collection; mixed-method designs, triangulation. Reading list: ... Bryman, Alan (2012). Social Research Methods