Ethnographic Methods and Analysis (389-0-1)

Instructors

Mary J Weismantel
847/491-4822
1812 Hinman Ave., Room #105, EV Campus
Professor Weismantel has written on a wide variety of topics, ranging from food to adoption, and from contemporary popular culture to ancient ceramics. Two threads connect her work: a sustained interest in theorizing materiality, and a lifelong interest in the Andean region of South America. Her areas of expertise include race and sex.

Meeting Info

ANTHRO Sem Rm 104 - 1810 Hinmn: Wed 2:00PM - 4:50PM

Overview of class

This class is a ten-week workshop on ethnographic methods. Ethnographers use all kinds of methods in their work, but the hallmark of cultural anthropology is the in-depth, long-term qualitative methodology known as ‘participant-observation' (or more colloquially as ‘deep hanging out'). Because this methodology is flexible, intuitive, and responsive to the needs and desires of research participants, it can seem awfully amorphous, so in this course we will break it down into more manageable and more specific techniques. Emphasis will also be on the ethics of fieldwork, especially as these have been defined by Indigenous researchers.

Learning Objectives

Students will attend class and participate in discussion. They will complete five short research projects, present their results informally in class, and submit short (one page) reports on their results. They will also complete one long research project. The results of this project will be presented informally while it is in progress, and formally at the end of the quarter. Students will submit a brief (2 ½ pp) proposal and bibliography for their project, and a five pp paper presenting their results at the end of the quarter.

Class Materials (Required)

Readings will be provided online.

Class Attributes

Advanced Expression
Social and Behavioral Science Foundational Discipl
Social & Behavioral Sciences Distro Area