OVERVIEW

In this workshop, starting from the analysis of concrete cases, students will acquire the tools needed to design and conduct empirical research grounded in philosophical questions.

The course aims to develop students' methodological and writing skills, with particular attention to mastery of qualitative-interpretive empirical techniques (case selection, field notes, interviews, and document coding) and the ability to build theory from material gathered in the field.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course will provide students with the tools to grasp the philosophical aspects underlying the policy making and implementation processes. By the end of the course, students • will be aware of the relationship between philosophy and policy; • will identify and discuss solutions to problems of general interest; • will be aware of policy-making techniques.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the end of the seminar, students

• will be able to situate qualitative-interpretive methods within the broader field of research in political philosophy;
• will have gained awareness of the relationship between practical philosophy and empirical methodology;
• will be able to critically approach different fieldwork research strategies (case selection, participant observation, interviews, and document analysis);
• will have the vocabulary needed to assess the quality of an empirical study grounded in philosophical questions;
• will benefit from advanced social skills (ability to manage one's own social interactions, ability to respect others and their needs, willingness to overcome prejudices and to express and understand different points of view);
• will benefit from enhanced project management skills (ability to transform ideas into practical proposals through a process of collective deliberation).

PREREQUISITES

There are no specific requirements.

TEACHING METHODS

This course is seminar-based with phases of group thinking, collective writing, in-classroom reading and discussion, and peer-evaluation.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

The seminar, beginning with an analysis of the methodological foundations of empirical research in practical philosophy, will introduce students to qualitative-interpretive methods for the study of power and institutions, offering opportunities for discussion and critical reworking through case selection, field notes, semi-structured interviews, and the analysis of archival documents.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

Specific guidance on the reference bibliography will be provided by the instructor at the beginning of the course.

For those who would like to explore further the topic of qualitative-interpretive research for the study of power:

• Emerson, Robert M., Fretz, Rachel I., and Shaw, Linda L. 2011. Writing Ethnographic Fieldnotes, 2nd edition. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
• Pachirat, Timothy. 2017. Among Wolves: Ethnography and the Immersive Study of Power. New York: Routledge.
• Schatz, Edward, ed. 2009. Political Ethnography: What Immersion Contributes to the Study of Power. London: University of Chicago Press.
• Yanow, Dvora, and Peregrine Schwartz-Shea, eds. 2013. Interpretation and Method: Empirical Research Methods and the Interpretive Turn, 2nd edition. Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

LESSONS

LESSONS START

The course will start on the 30th of September 2026. 

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

There is no final exam (and no marks) for this seminar.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

Students will gain the credits upon 75% active attendance and in-classroom presentation of the group project.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Please contact the professor for any information not included in the course schedule.