240509 SE MM2 Urban Elements (2024S)

The seminar, jointly with the field course, serves to acquire practical research skills and helps to consolidate methodological knowledge in the domain of ethnographic and sensory research. In particular, students will practice the reflective development of their research experience, the methodological operationalization of their questions and will carrying out an ethnographic research project. At the end of the seminar and field course, students should be able to ask, empirically operationalize and answer an anthropological question through a combination of a literature review and the application of methodological skills. First and foremost those skills of ethnographic fieldwork (observations, interviews, document analysis, … ).

Through the topic of „Urban Elements“ students will familiarize themselves with ethnographic methods of on-site (sensory) observations, conversations, interviewing but also learn about the necessity of desk-research before embarking on fieldwork. Following one of the five elements (water, air, fire, earth and love) in the city, students will be asked to find a graspable research topic, where questions of (planetary) health and urban habitability are at stake. This can include topics like urban gardening (earth), air pollution (air), heat and heating (fire), draught and water systems (water) or healthcare and solidarity (love). Within the broad thematic framework of urban habitability, students are thus asked to develop their own research project individually or in groups, depending on their own interests. The preparation for the ethnographic experience includes literature search and desk-research on potential research sites and actors. Additionally, the course instructors will present exemplary research topics that can be pursued if students wish to do so.

After a thematic and methodological introduction by the course instructors and the discussion of joint methodological readings, students will develop a research concept by searching for relevant literature. They will then carry out ethnographic research and do an initial data analysis to be able to present the research results orally in class and in the form of a final report.

As a central part of the course is a field stay in Madrid from April 28th to May 18th, 2024. The stay will primarily serve to collect material for the respective research projects and probe ethnographic methods. A minimum of A2 in Spanish is required for the field course to be valuable to students. The course instructors might test language skills in case of doubt.

Madrid is unfortunately an expensive city. Housing as well as travels to and in Madrid can be supported financially by the department upon submission of receipts after the fieldcourse. A maximum of 40% of housing and travel expenses will be reimbursed, and in the case of housing a maximum of 50 Euros/night applies (that is 40% of 50 Euros/night).