PS9350 Theories in Library and Information Science (7,5 ECTS) Course description

Professor Paal Engelstad

No prerequisites.

Knowledge

The candidate has in-depth knowledge of

• the development and institutionalization of library and information science as a field of research
• an understanding of the concept of information and the relationship between information, knowlege, and culture
• the intellectual foundation for and theoretical perspective of the field's core areas
• the academic/professional debate of what the platform of  library and information science consists of

Skills

The candidate is able to

• place his/her dissertation project in a library and information science theory and research tradition
• communicate with researchers in the field and other students across sub- academic areas that the candidates chose to specialize in
• reflectively discuss the relationship between library and information science as an area of research and practice

The essay shall be assessed by the course coordinator.

Participation is mandatory and expected in all lectures and seminars. Only a minor absence can be accepted in certain circumstances after application.

The candidate shall write an essay of approximately 4.500 - 5.500 words. The essay shall be handed in no later than 2 months after the subject is concluded.

If an essay is considered not passed, the candidate may submit a revised essay once within a specified time.

All examination support material is allowed as long as source reference and quotation technique requirements are applied. 

Approved/not approved.

The course is an optional course in the PhD Programme in Social Science.

The course focuses on the reciprocal relationships between participation in the labour market and health, and the ways in which these are structured by social stratification. A running theme is how these phenomena and their interrelations are shaped by national and international institutions and contexts. The degree to which Western societies are able to integrate disadvantaged groups in the labour market is arguably one of the most crucial preconditions for their sustainability in the future. The course will apply an interdisciplinary perspective and draw on disciplines and research fields like social epidemiology, health research, sociology, labour market research, political science, and comparative social policy. The course will cover topics like concepts of health, in particular dimensions related to functional status and work capacity; the social distribution of health and its social determinants in different types of societies; international trends and patterns in labour market inclusion and exclusion; pathogenic and salutary aspects of work; policies and measures to include and retain disadvantaged groups in the labour market.