Qualitative approaches to observation: participant and nonparticipant observation and ethnographic, ethnological, and field study. Choices of such approaches in qualitative design, their development, application, and evaluation, are compared, and selected versions are practiced.
Athena Title
Ethnography
Equivalent Courses
Not open to students with credit in QUAL 8540E
Prerequisite
QUAL 8400 or QUAL 8400E
Semester Course Offered
Not offered on a regular basis.
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Student learning Outcomes
As a student, you will become familiar with the aims, assumptions and methods of various approaches to ethnographic research;
As a student, you will gain experience in carrying out the major phases of ethnographic research;
As a student, you will design, gain access to the field, engage in data collection, data analysis and writing up the final report;
As a student, you will understand the role of theory in ethnographic research;
As a student, you will understand your own subjectivities in relation to your fieldwork;
As a student, you will use established codes of ethics to consider ethical issues that may occur in ethnographic research;
As a student, you will be able to assess the quality of ethnographic research.
Topical Outline
Course overview
Definitions: What is (non)participant observation? A field study? An ethnography?
Emic and etic perspectives
Choosing a site: ethical and practical issues
The role of culture in ethnographic research
Types of (non)participation in ethnographic research
Getting started
Researcher and (non)participant roles: ethical and practical issues
Data collection strategies
Writing observation notes
Interpretation and representation: ethical and practical issues
