Course Syllabus for students Autumn 2019

On completion of the course, the student should be able to:

- identify ontological and epistemological aspects of interdisciplinary research in disability research and child studies
- describe contemporary central science theories in disability research child studies

- critically analyse the strengths and weaknesses of different scientific theoretical approaches concerning functioning and development
- formulate research problems in a multidisciplinary perspective relevant to disability science in child studies
- formulate issues in child studies with critical, independent, creative and with scientific accuracy

- problematize theories of functioning and functioning structures in disability research

• Questions about knowledge production in a multidisciplinary context
• Scientific theoretical analysis of scientific texts
• Scientific analysis and synthesis of empirical studies in disability research
• Critical review and analysis of new and complex phenomena, issues and situations
• Identification and formulation of interdisciplinary issues
• Functional and disability from a biopsychosocial perspective

The teaching consists of lectures, seminars and exercises performed individually or in groups.
A digital learning platform is used.
Students who have been admitted to and registered on a course have the right to receive instruction/supervision for the duration of the time period specified for the particular course to which they were accepted. After that, the right to receive instruction/supervision expires.

The teaching is conducted in English.

The applicant must hold the minimum of a bachelor’s degree (i.e. the equivalent of 180 ECTS credits at an accredited university) within health and care sciences, behavioral science, social work, or educational sciences, including independent, theoretical based work, i.e. a thesis or the equivalent. Also 45 credits at advanced level within the subjects of the bachelor’s degree including independent, theoretical based work, i.e. a thesis or the equivalent. Proof of English proficiency is required. Exemption is granted from requirement in Swedish (or the equivalent).

The course is graded A, B, C, D, E, FX or F.

The grades A, B, C, D and E are all passing grades. For courses with more than one examination, students are given a final grade based on an overall assessment of all examinations included in the course. The final grade of the course is issued only when all course units have been passed.
The examination is based on instruction and course literature.
The examination must allow for students to be assessed on an individual basis. Students may not make a second attempt at any examination (or element of examination) already passed in order to receive a higher grade. Further information concerning assessment and grading criteria is provided in a study guide distributed at the beginning of the course.

Students are guaranteed a minimum of three examination occasions, including the regular occasion.
If a student has failed the same examination three times, the student is entitled to request that the next examination is assessed and graded by a new examiner if possible. The decision to accept or reject such a request is made by the vice dean of education.

In case the course is terminated or significantly altered, examination according to the present course syllabus shall be offered on at least two occasions in the course of one year after the termination/alteration.

Name of the Test	Value	Grading
Individual Written Assignment	6.5 credits	A/B/C/D/E/FX/F
Literature Seminar1	1 credit	U/G

¹ The examination is graded Pass (G) or Fail (U)

Bhaskar, R. & Danermark, B. (2006). Metatheory, Interdisciplinarity and Disability Research — A Critical Realist Perspective. Scandinavian Journal of Disability Research, 8 (4) p. 278-297

Bickenbach, E.J., Chatterju, S., Badley, E.M. & Üstün, T.B. (1999). Models of disablement, universialism and the international classification of impairments, disabilities and handicaps. Social Science & Medicine 48, pp1173-1187.

Chalmers, A. F. (2013, 4th edition) What is this thing called science? Univ. of Queensland Press, Open University press. (p. 192)


Danermark, B., Ekström, M., Jakobsen, L., & Karlsson, J. Ch. (2002) Explaining society. Introduction to Critical Realism in the social Sciences. London: Routledge. (p. 221)

Engel, G. L., Bloch, D. A. (editor) (1992). The Need for a New Medical Model: A Challenge for Biomedicine. Family Systems Medicine, 10(3), p. 317-331

Granlund, M., Arvidsson, P., Niia, A., Björck-Åkeson, E., Simeonsson, R., Maxwell, G., Adolfsson, M., Erikson-Augustine, L., & Pless, M. (2012). Differentiating Activity and Participation of Children and Youth with Disability in Sweden – A Third Qualifier in ICF-CY? American Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 91,84-9

Holland, D. (2014) Integrating Knowledge Through Interdisciplinary Research. Problems of theory and practice. London: Routledge. Appendix: Research design. Pp. 188-205. (18 pages)


Imms,C., Granlund, M., Wilson, P., Steenbergen, B., Rosenbaum, P., & Gordon, A. (2017). Participation – both a means and an end. A conceptual analysis of processes and outcomes in childhood disability. Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology DOI: 10.1111/dmcn.13237

Rowe, J. W. Introduction Approaching Interdisciplinary Research. In: Frank Kessel, Patricia Rosenfield & Norman Anderson (Eds) (2008). Interdisciplinary Research: Case Studies from Health and Social Science, Oxford University Press Inc. Oxford.

Rönnberg, J. (2004). Cognition, Communication, and disability. In W. Östreng (editor). Synergies. Interdisciplinary communications 2003/2004. Centre for Advanced Study at the Norwegian Academy of Sciences and Letters. (p. 13-15)


Wachs, T. D. (2000). Necessary But Not Sufficient The Respective Roles of Single and Multiple influences on individual Development. Washington DC: American psychological association. (p 217-315).


Additional literature
Thesises and scientific articles within the students specialization


Reference literature
Citing Sources – How to Create Literature References. http:ju.se/library/search--write/citing-sources---how-to-create-literature-references.html

Information Material about Anti-Plagiarism at Universities. The Interactive Anti-Plagiarism Guide – Jönköping University. http:pingpong.ju.se/public/courseId/10565/publicPage.do