2026 Short Course: Putting Social Science in Motion: Concept and Method (QMMR) -
Putting Social Science in Motion: Concept and Method (QMMR) Half Day Short Course | Register here 2026 APSA Annual Meeting & Exhibition — Boston, MA 1:30 pm – 5:30 pm This short course addresses both [. . . ]
Putting Social Science in Motion: Concept and Method (QMMR)Half Day Short Course |Register here2026 APSA Annual Meeting & Exhibition — Boston, MA1:30 pm – 5:30 pmThis short course addresses both the theory (ontology; conceptualization) and practice (method) of the growing number of ways in which scholars put the social world into motion. Our approach is resolutely plural in that we are more interested in promoting learning and communication across traditions than in re-enforcing academic silos. We begin the first hour with a meta-theoretical and theoretical discussion of the differing ways social scientists conceptualize process, relations, and dynamics. Ontologically, we introduce relationalism and argue that it provides the best meta-theoretical point-of-departure for all processual approaches. Building upon relational insights, we then survey the diverse concepts that are used to capture process, from causal mechanisms, to Bayesian hypotheses, to social practices, to situating objects, concepts, and categories across sites. The core of the short course – two hours – then drills down to explore the various methods available to access and measure such dynamics. These include standard and Bayesian process tracing, but the course also moves beyond these methods by discussing approaches that are not as commonly used in political science: practice tracing, with roots in Bourdieusian sociology and continental social theory, as well as methodologies that “follow-the-thing” from critical geography, anthropology, and multi-sited ethnography. Within these overarching methodologies, we explore the strengths and limitations of the various ‘methods within the method’ that do the heavy lifting in providing data on processes, relations, and sites. These include ethnography, political ethnography, photo elicitation, relational interviews, archival work, and document analysis. We conclude this part of the course by mapping the (often missing) ethics of processual social science. At a time when exciting discussions on ethical reflexivity are emerging across the discipline – around feminist ethics of care and epistemologies as well as post-colonial ethics – too many processual approaches are silent on them. Why?The course’s final hour is devoted to small-group breakout sessions, where participants workshop how they plan to use various processual methods in their research. Are there meta-theoretical, transparency, data access, data collection, data analysis, or ethical issues with which they are grappling? The instructors and fellow participants will offer constructive advice on how best to address such challenges. APSA Annual MeetingPre-conference Short Coursesare half- or full-day events that offer diverse professional development opportunities and allow attendees to connect with scholars from various backgrounds. This year’s pre-conference short courses will be held on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, in Boston, Massachusetts. Sponsored by APSA Organized Sections, Related Groups, and other affiliated organizations. All short courses require pre-registration to attend. Register here for the APSA Annual Meeting & Exhibition »