Introduction to Relational Social Science - Pragmatic Analytics

In this whirlwind tour of relational thinking, after looking at some of the philosophical and conceptual origins of relationalism, we will focus on three “flavors” of relationalism in the social sciences: the network analysis of social positions, the distinctive style of discourse analysis best characterized as the examination of “words in their speaking,” and practice theory. We conclude the week with an examination of what it means to engage in a configurational analysis, as distinct from the other kinds of (broadly neopositivist) causal analysis on offer in the social sciences. That having been said, this is neither a technical “research design” nor a “proposal writing” class, but is pitched as a somewhat broader level of theoretical abstraction; it is more ontological and conceptual than it is technically operational. As we proceed through the course, however, you should try not to lose sight of the fact that the point of theoretical reflection is to inform practical research. Treat this course as an opportunity to set aside some time to think critically, creatively, and expansively about the consequences of fundamental relationality for your own research. Throughout the course we will make reference to exemplary work from Anthropology, Economics, Sociology, and Political Science; students will be encouraged to draw on their own disciplines as well as these others in producing their reflections and participating in our lively discussions. Assigned readings are drawn primarily from international studies and from Sociology, and lectures will seek to illuminate the contexts of these works; seminar discussions will focus on elucidating the arguments of these texts and their implications for various modes of social-scientific research; in-class workshop activities (and assignments for course credit) will focus on encouraging students to connect the theoretical issues to questions and concerns in their home fields and disciplines, and to their own research projects and interests.

Nothing specific required except a willingness to unlearn the default theoretical background we have inherited from the tradition of European metaphysics.