210016 VO BAK4.1 Qualitative Methods of Empirical Social Research (2016S)

The course aims at offering students a broad overview of qualitative methodological approaches and making participants familiar with a variety of methods frequently used in social sciences.
It further attempts to arouse sensibility and critical reflection regarding the scope and limits of relevant methods.
Different methods of data collection and analysis are introduced and discussed in class.
Special emphasis is put on qualitative interviews, focus groups, observation techniques and ethnography, on the one hand, and text analytical methods and approaches to the analysis of visual material, on the other.
The course combines methods of data collection, analysis and interpretation such as
> semi-structured and open interviews (expert interview, problem centered interview, narrative interview) as well as focus groups,
> observation techniques,
> ethnography,
> qualitative content analysis,
> critical discourse analysis,
> analysis of visual representations such as images, video clips and documentaries,
> computer aided approaches to the analysis of textual and visual material