30227

SoSe 17: Qualitative Research

Justyna Pilarska

Information for students

Credit: Class Participation: • This is a course that deals with some difficult issues, so attendance is essential for good performance, thus attendance is essential to a successful collective experience. The format of the class requires that each person come prepared to take an active role in class. Memos: • Most weeks, students will write memos of various lengths (from 1-10 pages) on the readings for the week. The requirements for each memo will be provided a week in advance. These memos may serve as either communications to the instructor, dialogue concerning the readings, or work-in-progress. Memos will be evaluated as the course progresses, and will be graded as a portfolio at the end of the course. The quality of this work is worth 30% of the final grade. Research Proposal: • This will be a document where students spell out their topic, provide a brief description of the literature review and theoretical framework, and explain their methodology. The format of the final work template is attached to this syllabus. This paper will be due at the end of the semester and is worth 70% of the final grade. close

Additional information / Pre-requisites

Comments

This course is designed to provide an introduction to qualitative research methods, with a focus on research in multicultural contexts. Because any kind of social studies framework requires as baseline the recognition of social inequalities (and the possibilities for social change), many readings focus on aspects of inequality, including race and ethnicity, gender, and the impact of ourselves as studiers of subjects, and the notion of “subjects of study”— to begin with. The primary techniques of the case study method, including interviews, observation, and document analysis will be the primary skills developed. Introductions to critical ethnography, discourse analysis, and mixed methods will also be included. We will also consider strategies for validity and reliability, and the relevance of standard evaluative criteria such as objectivity, neutrality, and generalizability. close