B_FVM Public Opinion Shaping

University of Finance and Administration
Summer 2016
Extent and Intensity
2/0. 6 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
doc. Giuseppe Maiello, Ph.D. (seminar tutor)
PhDr. Petra Raudenská, Ph.D. (seminar tutor)
Mgr. Michal Tomčík, PhD. (seminar tutor)
Guaranteed by
PhDr. Petra Raudenská, Ph.D.
Subdepartment of Management and Marketing – Department of Economics and Management – Departments – University of Finance and Administration
Contact Person: Květoslava Dolejšová
Timetable of Seminar Groups
B_FVM/pMMO: Mon 12:15–12:59 M15, Mon 13:00–13:45 M15, M. Tomčík
B_FVM/pMPH: Thu 10:30–11:14 E004, Thu 11:15–12:00 E004, G. Maiello
B_FVM/uMPH: Tue 9. 2. 15:45–17:15 E127, 17:30–19:00 E127, Tue 23. 2. 15:45–17:15 E127, 17:30–19:00 E127, P. Raudenská
B_FVM/vMKL: Fri 19. 2. 13:45–15:15 K203, 15:30–17:00 K203, Fri 18. 3. 15:30–17:00 K203, 17:15–18:45 K203, P. Raudenská
B_FVM/vMMO: Fri 11. 3. 17:15–18:45 M25, Sat 12. 3. 8:00–9:30 M17, 9:45–11:15 M17, Fri 8. 4. 12:00–13:30 M15, M. Tomčík
B_FVM/vMPH: Fri 12. 2. 15:30–17:00 E225, 17:15–18:45 E225, Fri 26. 2. 15:30–17:00 E124, 17:15–18:45 E124, G. Maiello
Prerequisites
Sociology B1;
Sociology B2
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is offered to students of any study field.
Course objectives
This course will introduce students to the basic theoretical and empirical approaches to study of public opinion. Both approaches will be assessed from the point of view of historical development. The explanation of public opinion survey will be an integral part of lectures. Emphasis will be put on the refection of parameters of research quality and the illustration of actual public-opinion poll impact on contemporary society. Students who successfully complete the course:
1) will understand the role, importance and the function of public opinion in modern societies;
2) will be able to describe both the subject and the object of public opinion and fundamental factors influencing public opinion;
3) will be able to identify the relationship between public opinion and important political processes and phenomena;
4) will understand its dynamics in the society;
5) will be able to analyse the process of public opinion formation and explain the active role of media and opinion leaders during structure of view shaping;
6) will become acquainted with electoral surveys and research methods of public-opinion polls.
Syllabus
  • 1. Substance of public opinion. a) Ambiguity of term public opinion. b) Differences between the opinion and the view. c) Terms: public spirit, opinion climate, mass opinion and public opinion. d) Process of discussion in public opinion formation.
  • 2. Theoretical approaches to study of public opinion. a) Public opinion as a social-historical phenomenon. b) Primordialistic and modernistic theory of public opinion. c) Realistic and nominalistic approach to public opinion. d) The relationship of sociology, philosophy and politics to study of public opinion.
  • 3. The characterization of subject of public opinion. a) Subject of public opinion. b) The public and its historical reflection. c) Mass and mass public. d) Crowds and publics. e) Object of public opinion.
  • 4. The principal elements of public opinion. a) Attributes of public opinion. b) Intensity and direction of public opinion. c) Stability of public opinion. d) Public opinion structure. e) Function of public opinion. f) The Spiral of Silence (E. Noelle-Neumann).
  • 5. Formation of public opinion. a) Stages of rise and influence of public opinion. b) Processes of public opinion formation. c) Oscillatory public opinion.
  • 6. Factors which create public opinion and public opinion dynamics. a) The scheme of factors which influence public opinion. b) The factors which falsify public opinion. c) Manipulation with public opinion. d) Public opinion dynamics.
  • 7. Individual opinion and its relationship with public opinion. a) Social psychology and public opinion. b) The role of individual opinion in formation of public opinion. Crystallization of public opinion. c) Everyday consciousness. d) The role of emotion, values, motivation and needs. e) The influence of prejudices and stereotypes and the phenomenon of rumour.
  • 8. The impact of communication processes on public opinion. a) Interpersonal communication and the mediation. b) Mass communication theory. c) Hypodermic needle model (magic bullet) and two step flow model of communication (Lazarsfeld).
  • 9. The role of media and opinion leaders in formation of public opinion. a) Mass communication theory (mass media). b) The influence of interpersonal communication. c) Periodization of the theory of mass media effect (McQuail). d) Study of mass communication effects. e) The effect of public opinion surveys and their publication. f) The study of opinion leaders. g) Two-cyclical model of communication (Troldahl). h) The measurement of opinion leadership via the personality strength scale.
  • 10. Empirical approaches to study of public opinion. a) The beginning of public opinion research. b) Public opinion poll in the USA (Gallup organization). c) The extension of public opinion research in the world. d) The origin and development of public opinion research in Czechoslovakia. e) Criticism of public opinion poll and misuse of results the public opinion research.
  • 11. Public opinion research. a) Mass Observation (history). b) Public opinion polls in the Czech Republic nowadays. c) Study of public opinion. d) Subject of the measurement – attitude. Way of the measurement – interviewing. Instrument of the measurement – questionnaire. e) Survey phases in public opinion research. f) The use of the qualitative methods in public opinion research. g) WAPOR Code of Professional Ethics and Practices. Ethical connection of public opinion research.
  • 12. Electoral research and other political surveys. a) Electoral preferences research. b) Pre-election poll, exit poll, post-election studies. c) The role of media in public-opinion polls.
Literature
    required literature
  • KUNŠTÁT, Daniel. České veřejné mínění: výzkum a teoretické souvislosti . Praha: SOU AV ČR, 2006. info
  • HABERMAS, Jürgen. Strukturální přeměna veřejnosti. Praha: Filosofia, 2000. ISBN 80-7007-134-6. info
  • MIŠOVIČ, Ján and KOL. Od A do Z ve výzkumech veřejného mínění. Divišov: Orego, 2010. ISBN 978-80-86741-94-9. info
  • JEŘÁBEK, H. „Měření názorového vůdcovství v českých sociologických výzkumech.“. Sociologický časopis. 2003, vol. 39, No 5, p. 687 – 706. ISSN 0038-0288. URL info
  • ŠKODOVÁ, Markéta. "Co je to veřejnost.". SOCIOweb. Praha: Sociologický ústav AV ČR, 2006, vol. 3. ISSN 1214-1720. URL info
  • MCQUAIL, D. Úvod do teorie masové komunikace. Praha: Portál, 2002. ISBN 80-7178-714-0. info
  • JIRÁK, J and B KÖPPLOVÁ. Média a společnost. Praha: Portál, 2007. ISBN 978-80-7367-287-4. info
  • VINOPAL, J. "Rozhodovací procesy při zodpovídání výzkumných dotazů.". Naše společnost. 2008, vol. 6, No 1, p. 9 – 13. ISSN 1214-438X. URL info
  • KREJČÍ, J. "Předvolební průzkumy a média.". SOCIOweb. Praha: Sociologický ústav AV ČR, 2004, vol. 3, p. 10 - 12. ISSN 1214-1720. URL info
  • LEBEDA, Tomáš, Y. LEONTIYEVA and J. KREJČÍ. „Volební preference (jak jim správně porozumět).“. Naše společnost. 2005, vol. 3, No 2, p. 1 – 10. ISSN 1214-438X. URL info
  • ŠKODOVÁ, M. (ed.). Agenda-setting : teoretické přístupy. Praha: SOU AV ČR, 2008. ISBN 978-80-7330-151-4. info
  • MCCOMBS, M. Agenda setting : nastolování agendy: masová média a veřejné mínění. Praha: Portál, 2009. ISBN 978-80-7367-591-2. info
  • KREJČÍ, Jindřich. Kvalita sociálněvědních výběrových šetření v České republice. Vyd. 1. Praha: Sociologické nakladatelství (SLON), 2008. ISBN 978-80-7419-001-8. info
  • URBAN, Lukáš, Josef DUBSKÝ and Karol MURDZA. Masová komunikace : a veřejné mínění. Vyd. 1. Praha: Grada, 2011. ISBN 978-80-247-3563-4. info
    recommended literature
  • ŠUBRT, Jiří. Kapitoly ze sociologie veřejného mínění : Teorie a výzkum. Praha: Karolinum, 1998. ISBN 80-7184-522-1. info
  • KREJČÍ, Jindřich. Kvalita výzkumů volebních preferencí. Praha: Sociologický ústav AV ČR, 2004. ISBN 80-7330-056-7. info
  • RENDLOVÁ, E and Tomáš LEBEDA. Výzkumy veřejného mínění : teoretické souvislosti a praktická aplikace. Praha: Sociologický ústav AV ČR, 2002. ISBN 80-7330-032-X. info
  • PECÁKOVÁ, Iva, Ilja NOVÁK and Jan HERZMANN. Pořizování a vyhodnocování dat ve výzkumech veřejného mínění. Praha: Oeconomica, 2004. ISBN 80-245-0753-6. info
  • DISMAN, Miroslav. Jak se vyrábí sociologická znalost. Praha: Karolinum, 2000. ISBN 80-246-0139-7. info
  • SARTORI, Giovanni. Teória demokracie. Bratislava: Archa, 1993. ISBN 80-7115-049-5. info
  • SPLICHAL, S. Public opinion : developments and controversies in the twentieth century. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 1999. ISBN 978-0-8476-9163-0. info
  • VLACHOVÁ, Klára. „Výzkumy volebních preferencí : Trnitá cesta od otázky k datům“. Revue Proglas, 2002. 3. ISSN 1803-8468. URL info
  • CRESPI, Irving. „Polls as Journalism”. Public Opinion Quarterly. 1980, vol. 44, p. 462 - 476. ISSN 1537-5331. URL info
Teaching methods
Lectures (2 units per week) in full-time study, tutorials in part-time study; with respect to demanding character of the course it is expected presence at lessons (ca. 50 %), compulsory tutorial participation is 50 % in part-time study. In full-time study, every topic will be covered by a lectures. Lectures will be based on presentations of individual topics by the lecturer followed by a discussion.
Assessment methods
Student projects – activity during semester. Project is designed as close as possible to real situation in the company and research agency. Students should be divided into a few student groups and will realize public opinion poll as a team. Outcomes of the survey will be presented by a team during a lecture (about 20-30 minutes). All students have to participate on the student project. Evaluation of the project: 1) professional performance of the team (10 %), 2) quality of presentation (20 %), 3) complexity of data analyses (research questions) (25 %), 4) quality of questionnaire and data collection (technical parameters) (25 %), 5) marketing recommendations/strategy (10 %), 6) quality of teamwork (10 %). In the case of failure during the presentation of project the course is closured by written exam.
1. Written test is composed of approximately from 25 to 30 questions, both open and closed questions can appear. It will take about an hour (60 minutes).
2. Questions are based on the course materials and topics covered by lectures, both theoretical and empirical approaches (to study of public opinion) will be integral part of the final test.
3. It is required to fill in the test from 60 % successfully (answer questions correctly) to pass the exam.
Language of instruction
Czech
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
The course can also be completed outside the examination period.
Information on the extent and intensity of the course: 8 hodin KS/semestr.
The course is also listed under the following terms Winter 2008, Winter 2009, Winter 2010, Winter 2011, summer 2012, Winter 2012, Winter 2013, Winter 2014, Summer 2017.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Summer 2016, recent)
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