Ethnographic and Fieldwork Methods

This is a quarter-long graduate level seminar and practicum in ethnographic fieldwork methods, providing students with hands-on training in the epistemology, theory, methods, and politics of ethnography. Through weekly readings, assignments, and exercises applied to a field site of their choosing, students will learn the dynamics of gaining access, building rapport, writing field notes, coding, crafting analytic memos, and writing up findings. Class sessions will be spent discussing readings, debriefing research experiences, and analyzing fellow students' field notes. Students should plan to spend at least five hours per week in their chosen field site. Enrollment priority will be given to graduate students.