MESA 6820 Critical Perspectives on Research Methodology

This course explores foundational concepts that influence the methodologies and methods employed by social science researchers. Core topics explored include: the Enlightenments influence on scientific inquiry; the influence of empiricism, positivism, and universalism on social science research; objectivity and subjectivity; verification and falsification; quantification and standardization; the construction of mental ability and intelligence. Also explored are: the influences White racial framing has and continues to have on the research questions posed, the methods embraced, interpretations made, and discourse produced by social science researchers; and the role critical theory and anti-colonization have begun to play in reorienting social science research to challenge various forms of oppression, with a specific focus on racialized oppression. Upon completion of the course, participants will be positioned to critically examine quantitative methods and measurement techniques commonly employed for educational research that are introduced in future coursework.