OLPD5061

This course introduces students to knowledge and skills appropriate for the conduct of ethnographic research. Underlying purposes, assumptions, and distinctive characteristics of ethnographic methods will be examined as well as appropriate exemplars. Accordingly, the course emphasizes links between research purposes, the conceptualization of ethnographic projects and the development of researchable questions. The course also takes up a variety of ethical and political issues related to working with participants during the research process, as well as contemporary trustworthiness criteria for ethnographic written accounts. The bulk of the course is given to training in observation, generating field notes, developing interview questions, interviewing, collecting material cultural artifacts, using surveys, and analyzing, interpreting, and writing up ethnographic data. The first part of the course focuses on a critical discussion of ethnographic research purposes, epistemological assumptions, and essential features. Students choose and explore a published ethnographic study from their field of interest. The second part of the course is devoted to a very small scale ethnographic project which students design and carry out themselves. This project is supported by relevant readings and in-class activities (including peer review) related to the actual conduct of ethnographic research.