230210 SE Ethnographic Methods (2010S)

COURSE OUTLINE

I. The fieldwork tradition

II. Ethnographic research process

III. Ethics, politics and informants
Text: Davies: Reflexive Ethnography (chapter 3)

IV. The question of gender
Text: Back: Gendered Participation: Masculinity and Fieldwork in a South London Adolescent Community.

V. Participation and observation
Text: O'Reilly: Ethnographic Methods (chapter 4)

VI. Observation and participation
Text: Davies: Reflexive Ethnography (chapter 4)

VII. Analysis of data
Text: Gabo: Doing Ethnography (chapter 13)

VIII. How to conduct a field research?
Text: Wassman: The Final Requiem for the Omniscient Informant?

IX. Group presentations and discussions

X. Group presentations and discussions

XI. Group presentations and discussions

XII. Group presentations and discussions

DESCRIPTION
Fieldwork tradition, based on ethnographic methods, has an important role to play in the history of social sciences, especially regarding the anthropological research - to such an extent that social and cultural anthropology seems to associate with the practice of fieldwork. However, it is not only the modern anthropology that has its roots in a fieldwork tradition, but the qualitative research in general. Briefly, the methodological framework and intellectual context that are relevant to scholars who favour qualitative approach is based, profoundly, on a fieldwork tradition and ethnographic methods.

The intention of the seminar is to introduce a research process, based on fieldwork and ethnographic methods, to students. This would be done by lecturing and discussing the methodological issues with the participants of the seminar. Chosen texts, related to the topic of the seminar, would be read by the students and discussed during the seminar sessions. Furthermore, every student would carry out a research project as a member of a research team. That is to say, the seminar group would be divided into sub-groups of 4 students. Each sub-group would conduct a research project (a research rehearsal) by undertaking participant observation, keeping a field diary and interviewing informants, while in the field. Fieldworks would be conducted in an urban context. Visual data, such as photographs, could be used for gathering information and interpreting the findings. Every team would write a research report that would include a preliminary analysis of the data. One should emphasize that ethnographic methods offer a distinctive and reflexive approach to create, interpret and represent knowledge. The seminar would be divided into 4 parts:

Part 1: Fieldwork tradition and ethnographic research
Part 2:The question of ethics, politics and gender
Part 3:The problem of data
Part 4:Field projects - to be conducted by chosen teams