2023-24 Academic Catalog

This advanced methods course is designed to have students think about the complexities of ethnographic fieldwork by showcasing a powerful and rigorous mode of inquiry that informs societal questions in unique ways. The main goals are to explore classic ethnographies with an eye towards methods and experience ethnographic research in its entirety: from exploratory observations, into the process of defining cultural hypotheses, to the coding of various kinds of qualitative and quantitative ethnographic evidence. Ethnographic methods explored include: participant observation, semi-structured interviewing techniques, cultural mapping, pile sorting activities, photo-essays, and network analysis. Prerequisite: The department strongly recommends that 110 or 111 be taken prior to enrolling in courses numbered 200 or above