2004:3 R

Evaluation of sociology, criminology, sociology of law and social psychology

The National Agency for Higher Education has decided to follow the recommendations of the panel of assessors and review Dalarna University College´s entitlement to award bachelor´s degrees in sociology and to reject the application from the University College of Trollhättan/Uddevalla to establish a master´s programme with sociology as a major subject. Otherwise the National Agency is able to determine that in general the quality of these subjects is adequate. This appraisal is based on the quality criteria applied in the national evaluations of subjects and programmes conducted by the Agency.

Particular mention is made of the strength of the theoretical elements in the programmes, where the development of both classical and modern sociological theory are well represented in the courses offered and the reading lists. Today, theoretical discussion of both class and gender have a given place in the teaching of sociology and of social psychology. Ethnic diversity has not yet gained equal standing as an analytical category.

The teaching of methodology in undergraduate programmes appears, however, to pose problems in all of these subjects except criminology. Qualitative methods predominate in the teaching provided in most quarters and the teaching of quantitative methodologies is often offered at too elementary a level. However, the panel of assessors considers that the quality of the teaching of methodology is good at Stockholm University, Umeå University and Luleå University and also at Södertörns University College and the university colleges of Mälardalen and Skövde (social psychology).

The current development of sociology is positive in many respects. The subject has expanded in recent years, with more students in undergraduate programmes and increasingly heterogeneous student groups, more programmes which can lead to the award of a master´s degree and more postgraduate programmes. Sociology is also a component of many local programmes, ensuring stable funding for the subject. In order to avoid jeopardising the core and identity of the subject, the panel considers that both single-subject courses in sociology and those included in other programmes should contain a joint theoretical and methodological core at each higher education institution. Specific programmes in sociology are offered at the Universities of Luleå and Lund and also at the university college of Halmstad. Stockholm University has a two-year programme in Applied Social Research.

The expansion of sociology has not led to any corresponding increase in the resources available. On the contrary, one result of the erosion of funding in many quarters has been a reduction in the teaching available. For this reason classroom teaching has been cut back and more rational forms of instruction introduced to enable the relatively small number of teachers to deal with large groups of students, an outcome which in the opinion of the panel increases the difficulty of maintaining the level of quality and the demands made of the students.

In many institutions there is only limited scope for research, or the time available is divided unevenly between the teachers with permanent posts. At Uppsala University and Kristianstad University College the teachers are guaranteed contiguous periods for research within the framework of their appointments, which the panel considers to be advantageous. Most higher education institutions employ a relatively large number of substitute or hourly-paid teachers. International students exchanges are limited. The panel of assessor recommends increased participation in the various international exchange programmes.

Student influence functions well, to the extent that formal procedures are open to the students and course evaluations are made. On the other hand student involvement should be raised and departmental routines enabling feedback of the results of student evaluations should be strengthened.

On the whole postgraduate programmes are of good quality. The interest of the panel and of the National Agency has focused on the impact of the 1998 reform of postgraduate education, the measures adopted by the higher education institutions to adapt programmes to these new conditions and what action still needs to be taken.

Postgraduate enrolment procedures have been affected by the reform and the stringent funding requirements that it introduced. The panel of assessors stresses the importance of distinguishing clearly between the evaluation of an applicant´s qualifications and the appraisal of the funding available and also that enrolment should be competitive.

As the number of newly enrolled postgraduate students is declining at the older departments and the research environment is relatively small at the newly established ones, in many places difficulties arise in offering a complete range of courses. There is some degree of cooperation between departments to widen the range of courses offered and to augment the resources available for supervision but this should be developed even more. International exchanges also need to be improved. One explanation for the apparently limited international exchange at the moment may be found in the time pressure that the reform of postgraduate education has entailed for the students themselves and for their departments. The importance of training supervisors and of the individual syllabuses are other aspects of the reform that are discussed. Providing the postgraduate students with teaching qualifications, in the form of departmental duties and training in the methodology of higher education are other issues raised. On the whole, there seem to be greater opportunities to offer postgraduate students departmental duties at the smaller and more recently established higher education institutions than at the larger ones.

In its report the panel of assessors emphasises the importance of establishing a disciplinary relationship between the subject of sociology and social psychology, the sociology of law and criminology.

Evaluation of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in occupational studies

To provide a basis for the panel´s evaluation, the report provides a survey of the historical development of occupational studies as a discipline. At the moment occupational studies adopts at least seven different approaches in Sweden:

• a technological focus in which ergonomics is the core subject
• a natural sciences focus which stresses workplace environment and environmental factors
• a medical cognitive approach which focuses on performance under extreme conditions
• an educational methodology focus with the emphasis on workplace learning
• a functional labour market approach which focuses on human resource management, employment services and headhunting
• a gender approach which places stress on studies of labour market gender divisions and gender identification processes in the workplace
• a general social science approach in which sociology is an important central subject.