EPN-V2

PHDPR9100 Street-Level Bureaucrats and Organisations Course description

Course name in Norwegian
Street-Level Bureaucrats and Organisations
Study programme
Ph.d. programme in the study of professions
PhD Programme in the Study of Professions
Weight
5.0 ECTS
Year of study
2020/2021
Programme description
Course history

Introduction

Alle hjelpemidler er tillatt så lenge regler om kildehenvisning følges.

Required preliminary courses

Gradert skala A-F

Learning outcomes

Det benyttes intern og ekstern sensor til sensurering av besvarelsene.

Et uttrekk på minst 25 % av besvarelsene sensureres av to sensorer. Karakterene på disse samsensurerte besvarelsene skal danne grunnlag for å fastsette nivå på resten av besvarelsene.

Content

The course deals with several important issues in street-level research. First, the course deals with the history and development of the street-level bureaucracy tradition. Secondly, the course investigates several examples of empirical research within this tradition introducing the students to the vast empirical ground that street-level research covers.

Content:

  • The black hole of Democracy
  • Coping strategies across time and Space
  • The street-level as a resource for positive feedback, reflection and reform of the welfare state
  • The street-level as individual, organisational or homogenous across Fields
  • Translating policy on paper to policy in practice
  • Analytical approaches to policy analysis that are open to the street-level perspective

Teaching and learning methods

The language of instruction is English, and all discussions, presentations etc. will be in English. The course will combine lectures on general theoretical and methodological issues from street- level bureaucracy with lectures reviewing and discussing substantive research and literature. However, a substantial part of the course will be dedicated to address the research projects of the students using the street-level perspective to push the research ideas, methodological considerations and analyses further. Student presentations are pivotal in discussing analytical options and theoretical inspirations for the development of the students own research.

The number of students is limited to max. 20. Each student is expected to play an active part in the course (please refer to section "Work Requirements"). The course literature is expected to be read before the course.

Practical training

The students will gain practical training in academic discussions on others and own work related to street-level bureaucracy research. This include presentations and active involvement as discussants.

Course requirements

Participation is mandatory, and students are expected to attend all days teaching. Absence from part of the teaching can only be accepted in special cases, upon application. In the event of absences that are not approved, students will lose their right to have their paper assessed.

Assessment

The assessment will be based on the following:

  • A paper written in English, to be presented and discussed during the course, has to be submitted by a set date given by Centre for the Study of Professions
  • Students shall take part in discussions during the course, prepare and give comments to fellow students' papers

The paper is assessed by the course responsible and visiting academic contributors to the course. The paper is assessed on the basis of the stated learning outcomes for the course.

The paper should take a point of departure in the research of the student, but needs to address questions of policy into practice or include one or more of the elements from the street-level bureaucracy literature. The paper shall be between 8 and 15 pages (approx. 3200-6000 words), one and a half spaced, with ample margins.

Grading Scale

Pass or Fail

Support materials for assessment/examination

All