Summer 2016 - SA 356W D100
Ethnography and Qualitative Methods (SA) (4)
Class Number: 2812
Delivery Method: In Person
Overview
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Course Times + Location:
May 9 – Aug 8, 2016: Tue, 8:30–10:20 a.m.
Burnaby
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Instructor:
Pamela Stern
pstern@sfu.ca
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Prerequisites:
SA 255.
Description
CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:
An examination of qualitative field methods, including participant observation, interviewing, archival research, cross-cultural research, life histories, network analysis, mapping, and ethical problems of fieldwork. Writing.
COURSE DETAILS:
Qualitative methods – ethnography, participant observation, and interviewing – are core research activities in sociocultural anthropology and sociology. This course is intended to give students the opportunity to learn how to employ these and other qualitative methods by engaging in a series of integrated research activities. This class outlines the basic tasks of qualitative field research. Students will learn how to formulate a fruitful question, work through personal and ethical dilemmas raised by field research, and record, analyze, and formally present qualitative findings.
SA356W is time demanding class. All students will participate in an ethnographic project. The project work will form the heart of the course and we will spend much time working through the various kinds of methodological, ethical and analytical questions that arise in the course of fieldwork. Class members who have specific and well-defined research projects may propose a research project and invite others to join their research team. Alternatively, students may choose to work on an ethnographic project designed by the professor in support of a community organization. All class participants are expected contribute meaningfully to their research project and to adhere to the ethics protocols established and approved for the research. The course satisfies requirements for a Writing Intensive course.
Grading
- Fieldnotes journal 20%
- 4 research exercises (10% each) 40%
- Methods summaries of 3 journal articles (5% each) 15%
- Contribution to the research project and Pechakucha-style research presentation 15%
- Attendance and constructive participation 10%
REQUIREMENTS:
Where a final exam is scheduled and you do not write the exam or withdraw from the course before the deadline date, you will be assigned an N grade. Unless otherwise specified on the course outline, all other graded assignments in this course must be completed for a final grade other than N to be assigned. In class quizzes are not included in the graded assignment required to receive a final grade.
Academic Dishonesty and Misconduct Policy
The Department of Sociology and Anthropology follows SFU policy in relation to grading practices, grade appeals (Policy T 20.01) and academic dishonesty and misconduct procedures (S10.01‐ S10.04). Unless otherwise informed by your instructor in writing, in graded written assignments you must cite the sources you rely on and include a bibliography/list of references, following an instructor-approved citation style. It is the responsibility of students to inform themselves of the content of SFU policies available on the SFU website: http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student.html.
Materials
REQUIRED READING:
Journal articles and book chapters available through CANVAS.
Registrar Notes:
SFU’s Academic Integrity web site contains information on what is meant by academic dishonesty and where you can find resources to help with your studies. There is also a section on tutoring.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS