240044 PR BM8 Ethnographic Field School (2024S)
Continuous assessment of course work
Labels
Participation at first session is obligatory!The lecturer can invite students to a grade-relevant discussion about partial achievements. Partial achievements that are obtained by fraud or plagiarized result in the non-evaluation of the course (entry 'X' in certificate). The plagiarism software 'Turnitin' will be used.
The use of AI tools (e.g. ChatGPT) for the attainment of partial achievements is only allowed if explicitly requested by the course instructor.
The use of AI tools (e.g. ChatGPT) for the attainment of partial achievements is only allowed if explicitly requested by the course instructor.
Registration/Deregistration
Note: The time of your registration within the registration period has no effect on the allocation of places (no first come, first served).
- Registration is open from Th 01.02.2024 00:01 to Mo 26.02.2024 23:59
- Deregistration possible until Mo 18.03.2024 23:59
Details
max. 20 participants
Language: English
Lecturers
Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N
Wednesday
06.03.
16:45 - 20:00
Seminarraum D, NIG 4. Stock
Thursday
14.03.
13:15 - 16:30
Hörsaal A, NIG 4.Stock
Wednesday
20.03.
16:45 - 20:00
Seminarraum D, NIG 4. Stock
Friday
22.03.
13:15 - 16:30
Seminarraum A, NIG 4. Stock
Thursday
18.04.
16:45 - 20:00
Seminarraum D, NIG 4. Stock
Thursday
25.04.
16:45 - 20:00
Seminarraum D, NIG 4. Stock
Monday
29.04.
11:30 - 14:45
Hörsaal A, NIG 4.Stock
Wednesday
15.05.
15:00 - 18:15
Seminarraum D, NIG 4. Stock
N
Wednesday
22.05.
16:45 - 20:00
Seminarraum A, NIG 4. Stock
Wednesday
29.05.
15:00 - 18:15
Seminarraum D, NIG 4. Stock
Tuesday
04.06.
15:00 - 18:15
Übungsraum (A414) NIG 4. Stock
Wednesday
05.06.
16:45 - 20:00
Übungsraum (A414) NIG 4. Stock
Information
Aims, contents and method of the course
Assessment and permitted materials
• Attendance of and active participation in the class sessions;
• Development and presentation of a small project in group work, including the literature review, the formulation of research questions, research design and field research at the exhibition and related sites, including digital ones;
• Implementation of the above during the field work sessions;
• Holding informal conversations and preparation of interviews, visits and observations;
• Conducting interviews at the field sites;
• Submission of research documentation including field notes and interview questionnaires and transcriptions, audio and visual documents, and any other material emerging from the group projects. In addition, individual time sheets documenting the work carried out must be submitted. The group will have to specify the tasks of each individual members. A representative of each group will upload the above materials to a shared ucloud folder which will be set up ahead of the deadline. The last possible submission date for all of the above documentation is June 20, 2024;
• Group presentations that will reflect on field research: these will be held during the last two classes of the semester (attendance is mandatory for all students);
• Submission of individual papers reflecting on the student’s individual research experience and the student‘s own positioning in the field. The length consists of 5-7 standard pages (please use Times New Roman, font size 12 pt and line spacing 1.5). Individual papers must be submitted on Moodle (an exam folder will be set up) no later than July 5, 2024;
• The final paper will be evaluated within four weeks. Students will receive feedback with a suggested grade and will then have until September 5, 2024, to improve the paper.
• Development and presentation of a small project in group work, including the literature review, the formulation of research questions, research design and field research at the exhibition and related sites, including digital ones;
• Implementation of the above during the field work sessions;
• Holding informal conversations and preparation of interviews, visits and observations;
• Conducting interviews at the field sites;
• Submission of research documentation including field notes and interview questionnaires and transcriptions, audio and visual documents, and any other material emerging from the group projects. In addition, individual time sheets documenting the work carried out must be submitted. The group will have to specify the tasks of each individual members. A representative of each group will upload the above materials to a shared ucloud folder which will be set up ahead of the deadline. The last possible submission date for all of the above documentation is June 20, 2024;
• Group presentations that will reflect on field research: these will be held during the last two classes of the semester (attendance is mandatory for all students);
• Submission of individual papers reflecting on the student’s individual research experience and the student‘s own positioning in the field. The length consists of 5-7 standard pages (please use Times New Roman, font size 12 pt and line spacing 1.5). Individual papers must be submitted on Moodle (an exam folder will be set up) no later than July 5, 2024;
• The final paper will be evaluated within four weeks. Students will receive feedback with a suggested grade and will then have until September 5, 2024, to improve the paper.
Minimum requirements and assessment criteria
This course focuses on empirical data collection using a number of methods. The course comprises 10 ECTS credits, which corresponds to a workload of 250 hours per student. Of these, a maximum of 50 hours will be spent on attending classes, 100 hours in the field, and the remaining 100 hours on home and group work.Regular field work sessions are a requirement for the successful completion of the course. Class attendance is mandatory (students can miss up to two sessions).The evaluation is done according to the following scale:
90-100 %= 1
77-89 %= 2
64-76 %= 3
51-63 %= 4
0-50 % = 5
For a positive grade, 51 % is requiredThe costs for this ethnographic field internship concerns the purchase of a Natural History Museum Vienna annual ticket that is needed for multiple entries into the museum. 40% of these costs will be reimbursed by the University of Vienna.
90-100 %= 1
77-89 %= 2
64-76 %= 3
51-63 %= 4
0-50 % = 5
For a positive grade, 51 % is requiredThe costs for this ethnographic field internship concerns the purchase of a Natural History Museum Vienna annual ticket that is needed for multiple entries into the museum. 40% of these costs will be reimbursed by the University of Vienna.
Examination topics
- Participation in the course sessions, examination of the compulsory literature, presentations and interim submissions (20%)- Work on the research project, including preparation of the research documentation with individual performance records and timely submission of assignments (60%)- Final paper (20%): the assessment is based on formal criteria (language, style, spelling and grammar) as well as content criteria (critical reflection taking into account the compulsory literature).The assessment can begin when all of the exam components have been handed in. A total of 100 points can be achieved. The evaluation is done according to the following scale:91 - 100 points = 1 (very good)
81 - 90 points = 2 (good)
71 - 80 points = 3 (satisfactory)
61 - 70 points = 4 (sufficient)
0 - 60 points = 5 (not sufficient)The course director reserves the right to invite students to a discussion about the grade of their performances. The software ‚Turnitin‘ is used to check for plagiarism. If plagiarized submissions or exam fraud are detected, the submitted materials will not be graded and an 'X' will be entered in the system.
81 - 90 points = 2 (good)
71 - 80 points = 3 (satisfactory)
61 - 70 points = 4 (sufficient)
0 - 60 points = 5 (not sufficient)The course director reserves the right to invite students to a discussion about the grade of their performances. The software ‚Turnitin‘ is used to check for plagiarism. If plagiarized submissions or exam fraud are detected, the submitted materials will not be graded and an 'X' will be entered in the system.
Reading list
Literature on ethnographic methods (additional literature will be suggested by the teacher):Agar, M.H. 1996. The Professional Stranger: An Informal Introduction to Ethnography. San Diego et al.: Academic Press.Ballestero, A. and B.R. Winthereik, eds. 2021. Experimenting with Ethnography: A Companion to Analysis. Durham und London: Duke University Press.Boellstorff, T., B. Nardi, C. Pearce, and T.L. Taylor. 2012. Ethnography and Virtual Worlds: A Handbook of Method. Princeton: Princeton University Press.Dewalt, K.M. and B.R. De Walt. 2011. Participant Observation: A Guide for Fieldworkers. Lanham, MD: AltaMira.Emerson, R.M., R.I. Fretz and L.L. Shaw. 1995. Writing Ethnographic Fieldnotes. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.Hammersley, M., and P. Atkinson. 2007. Ethnography: Principles in Practice. London: Routledge.Madden, R. 2017. Being Ethnographic: A Guide to the Theory and Practice of Ethnography. Los Angeles, CA: Sage.Okely, J. 2012. Anthropological Practice. Fieldwork and the Ethnographic Method. London: Berg.Literature on the topic (further literature must be researched by the students)Bezan S. 2019. The endling taxidermy of Lonesome George: Iconographies of
extinction at the end of the line. Configurations 27(2), 211-238Kalshoven Tjitske P. 2018. Gestures of taxidermy: Morphological approximation as interspecies affinity. American Ethnologist 45(1), 34-47Haraway D. 1984-1985. Teddy bear patriarchy: Taxidermy in the Garden of Eden, New York City, 1908-1936. Social Text 11, 20-64Nadim T. 2021. The datafication of nature: data formations and new scales in
natural history. Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute (N.S.) 27, 62-75O’Key D. 2021. Why look at taxidermy animals? Exhibiting, curating and mourning the Sixth Mass Extinction Event. International Journal of Heritage Studies 27(6), 635-653Patchett M. 2008. Tracking tigers: Recovering the embodied practices of taxidermy.
Historical Geography 36, 17-39Patchett M . 2017. Taxidermy workshops: differently figuring the working of bodies and bodies at work in the past. Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers 42(3), 390-404Poliquin R. 2008. The matter and meaning of museum taxidermy. Museum and society 6(2), 123-134Ross AS, 2019. Special issue: Preserving the animal body: Cultures of scholarship and display, 1660–1914. Journal of Social HistoryRoss AS. 2020. The animal body as medium: Taxidermy and european expansion, 1775–1865. Past and Present 249(1), 85-119
extinction at the end of the line. Configurations 27(2), 211-238Kalshoven Tjitske P. 2018. Gestures of taxidermy: Morphological approximation as interspecies affinity. American Ethnologist 45(1), 34-47Haraway D. 1984-1985. Teddy bear patriarchy: Taxidermy in the Garden of Eden, New York City, 1908-1936. Social Text 11, 20-64Nadim T. 2021. The datafication of nature: data formations and new scales in
natural history. Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute (N.S.) 27, 62-75O’Key D. 2021. Why look at taxidermy animals? Exhibiting, curating and mourning the Sixth Mass Extinction Event. International Journal of Heritage Studies 27(6), 635-653Patchett M. 2008. Tracking tigers: Recovering the embodied practices of taxidermy.
Historical Geography 36, 17-39Patchett M . 2017. Taxidermy workshops: differently figuring the working of bodies and bodies at work in the past. Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers 42(3), 390-404Poliquin R. 2008. The matter and meaning of museum taxidermy. Museum and society 6(2), 123-134Ross AS, 2019. Special issue: Preserving the animal body: Cultures of scholarship and display, 1660–1914. Journal of Social HistoryRoss AS. 2020. The animal body as medium: Taxidermy and european expansion, 1775–1865. Past and Present 249(1), 85-119
Association in the course directory
Last modified: Tu 13.02.2024 12:26
In what ways are taxidermies the expression of European imperialism?
How do museum visitors react to the display of the conquest of the animal world?
What can taxidermies tell us about the Anthropocene?Themes: Anthropology of collections, Museum Anthropology, Art and material culture, AnthropoceneWithin the framework of the above research questions, students are taught how to plan and conduct ethnographic research projects. The learning objective is to gain experience in the development and implementation of a research project in the context of a given topic. The following steps will be covered: translating the topic into concrete research questions in small groups, selecting appropriate methods and conducting ethnographic research in the field. Through this project-based approach, students will gain practical insights into the research process and acquire ethnographic research skills.