Download Intensive course 5 - Qualitative Methods

NordicConsortiumforChinaStudies
QualitativeMethods
Intensivecourse,ZhejiangUniversity
Generaloutline
Thiscourseprovidesanintroductiontoethnographicmethodsandpracticalexperiencewith
asmallfieldstudy.ForstudentsofChinastudies,theexercisesduringthesetwoweekswill
formthebasisforanexampaper.Forstudentsofanthropology,thecourseisfollowedbytwo
weeksofdatacollectionfortheirfieldprojects.Thecoursewillcoverkeyaspectsof
qualitativeresearch,suchasformulatingaresearchproblem,researchquestions,
methodologicalchoices,analysis,ethicalconcernsandpresentationoffindings.Readingsand
teacherpresentationswillbecombinedwithpracticalexercises,withemphasisonthelatter.
Modeofteachingwillcombineclasspresentations,plenarydiscussions,groupwork,
instructionandexperience-sharing.Duringtheperiodofthecourse,studentswill
concurrentlydeveloptheirindependentprojectsthatwillformthebasisforexampapers.
Anthropologystudentsmusthavetheirproblemstatementsapprovedbytheteachersbefore
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theybegintheirindependentfieldresearch.Allliteraturemustbereadinpreparationforthe
course.Itisexpectedthatthestudentswillcollaborateduringcommonexercises(topic:
Movement–motionandmobility)duringthecourse.Thecoursestresseshands-onactivities
andlearning-by-doing.Therefore,therewillbemanypracticalexercisesandmuchhomework
duringthecourse.Thiswillnotleavetimetoreadbetweenclasses,soallliteraturemustbe
readinpreparationforthecourse.
Thecourseisplannedasaone-weekintensivecourseforScandinavianMAstudentsinChina
Studies,andcountsasatotalof5ECTS(135hours).ItwilltakeplaceataChineseuniversity
campusandwillbeco-taughtbyoneteacherfromtheChineseuniversityandoneteacher
fromaScandinavianuniversity.ThelanguagesofinstructionwillbeChineseandEnglish.
Prerequisites
Itisassumedthatstudents:
•
ReadandspeakModernStandardChinese(Putonghua)atalevelcorrespondingtothe
requirementsforaBAdegreeinChinaStudiesataScandinavianuniversity
•
HavecomprehensiveknowledgeofChinesecultureandsociety
•
Haveabasicknowledgeofculturalstudyresearchmethods
Aimsofthecourse
Themainaimsofthecourseare:
•
thatstudentslearntodesignaChina-relatedresearchprojectbasedonqualitative
methods.
•
thatstudentsgainpracticalexperienceinqualitativeresearchmethods,primarily
observationsandinterviews.
Toachievetheseaimsthecoursewillinclude:
•
discussionsofthepotentialandlimitationsofqualitativeresearchmethods.
•
planning,conductingandreflectingcriticallyonanobservation.
•
planning,conducting,transcribingandreflectingcriticallyoninterviews.
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•
readingacademictextsinChineseandEnglish,aswellasmassandsocialmediatexts
inChineseabouttheresearchtheme.
Courseoutline
Time
Theme/Title
Material
DayOne
Morning
session
WelcomeandPresentation
- Thecommonprojecttopic:Motion,movement,mobility
- Introductiontoethnographicmethods
- Framinganddesigningaproject
- Projectdescriptionrequirements
Exercise1:Brainstorming,framinganddevelopingproject
descriptiononthecommonprojecttopic.
Spradley,2000.
Hammersley&
Atkinson1997.
Eriksen,2010.
Lunchbreak
Exercise2:Inspirationalwalkintheneighbourhood–“agrand
tour”.
Assignment1
Writeupfirstimpressions.Workonproject.
Afternoon
session
DayTwo
Morning
session
-
Participantobservation
Access,positionsandconflictsinthefield
Fieldnotes
Spradley,2000.
Hannerz,2006.
Wolcott,1994.
Exercise1:Roleplayinclassaboutaccess.
Lunchbreak
Afternoon
session
Exercise2:Participant-observation'inthefield'.
Assignment2
Writeupfieldnotesandsharewiththegroup.
Developadraftresearchproblemandbackground
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sectionfortheindividualprojectdescription.
Setupinterviewappointmentsfordaythree.
Excursion:asocialexcursionisplannedbetweendaytwoandthree.
DayThree
Morning
session
Afternoon
session
-
Qualitativeinterviewing–formsandtechniques
Theinterviewguide
Transcription
Exercise1:Interviewexerciseinclassroomusingaudiorecorder
(mobilephone).
Exercise2:Developaninterviewguideforasemi-structured
interview.
Lunchbreak
Exercise3:Conductasemi-structuredinterview'inthefield'.
Assignment3
Transcribesectionsoftheinterview,share
transcriptsinthegroupandreadeachother’s
transcriptions.Workonallsectionsoftheindividualproject
description.Prepareapresentationofmax.3slides.Setupanother
intervieworfocusgroupinterviewappointmentfordayfour.
Bernard,1994.
Michrina,1996.
Kvale&
Brinkmann,2009.
Thøgersen,2006.
DayFour
Morning
session
-
Culturalcontext,sensitiveissuesandpoliteness
Projectdesign(cont.)
Focusgroups
Exercise1:Mutualbrainstormingonownprojects.
Afternoon
session
Lunchbreak
Exercise2:Prepareandperformafocusgroupinclass.
Assignment4
Conductanothersemi-structuredinterview(or
focusgroupinterviewifpossible).Transcribe
sectionsoftheinterview.
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Justesen&MikMeyer,2012.
Hansen,2006.
Kjellgren,2006.
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DayFive
Morning
session
-
Workingwithfieldnotesandinterviewtranscript
Analysis
Writingethnography
Afternoon
session
Lunchbreak
Exercise1:Codeandanalysethematerial.Identifyanalytical
themes.Feedbackandsupervisiononownfieldprojects.
Assignment5
Submitproblemstatementstoteachersby8PM
atthelatest.
Hammersley&
Atkinson,1997.
Gullestad,1992.
Keesing,2000.
DaySix
Morning
session
-
Validityandlimitations
Ethics
Writingstylesandconventions;writingagoodexam
paper
Feedbackandapprovalofprojects
Afternoon
session
Lunchbreak
Exercise:Identificationanddiscussionofethicalissuesin
researchprojects.
Wrapupandevaluationofthecourse.
Magolda&
Weems.2002.
CodeofEthics
oftheAAA,
2012.
Selmer,2001.
Maanen,2010.
Learningactivities
Thecoursecombineslectures,seminarsandgroupdiscussionsheldinEnglishandChinese
withafieldtrip.Studentswillbegivenassignmentstopreparebeforeeachrespectiveclass
session.Basedonthecourseandthefieldtrip,thestudentsarerequiredtopresentideasfor
afinalpaperonthelastdayofthecourseandtohandinafinalessayatalaterdateviaemail.
AttendanceiscompulsoryaccordingtotheregulationsoftheChineseuniversityandstudents
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areexpectedtocometoclasseswellprepared.Studentswillreceivethelistofreadingsabout
onemonthbeforethecoursestartsandareexpectedtohavereadatleastthemandatory
textsbeforethebeginningofthecourse.
Courserequirements/examination
The students’ performance during the course, including active class attendance, written
assignments,andthefinalpapercounttowardsthefinalgradeforthecourse.Fieldprojects
maybewrittenwithintheframeworkofthecommontopicandmustbeundertakeningroups
of two (in special cases three) students. Exam papers must be written in pairs (8-10 pages
includingreferencesandnotes).Thepaperhastoinclude:a)anintroductionpresentingthe
researchquestion;b)apresentationofthemethodologyusedforcollectingdata;c)reflections
onmethodologicalchallengesintheproject;d)adiscussionoftheresultsoftheinvestigation;
e)aconclusion;andf)alistofreferencesthatincludeatleastfiveacademicsourcesthatare
usedinthepaper.Onlypapersincludingallofthesepointswillbeabletopass,andpaperswill
begradedpassed/notpassed.
CourseMaterial
Bernard,H.R.1994.“Unstructuredandsemistructuredinterviewing”inResearchMethods
inAnthropology.QualitativeandQuantitativeApproaches.London:Sage,208-236.
CodeofEthicsoftheAmericanAnthropologicalAssociation.ApprovedNovember2012.
http://ethics.aaanet.org/category/statement/
Eriksen,ThomasHylland2010[1995].“FieldworkanditsInterpretation”inEriksen,Thomas
Hylland,SmallPlaces,LargeIssues–AnIntroductiontoSocialandCulturalAnthropology,third
edition:London:PlutoPress,27-43
Gullestad,Marianne1992.”PeaceandQuiet”inGullestad,MarianneTheartofsocial
relations.Essaysonculture,socialactionandeverydaylifeinmodernNorway.Oslo:
ScandinaviaUniversityPress,137-164.
Hammersley,Martyn&PaulAtkinson1997.“Researchdesign:problems,casesand
samples”in:M.Hammersley&P.Atkinson,Ethnography.PrinciplesinPractice,Routledge:
LondonandNewYork,23-53.
Hammersley,Martyn&PaulAtkinson1997.“Theprocessofanalysis”in:M.Hammersley&P.
Atkinson,Ethnography.PrinciplesinPractice.London:Routledge,205-239.
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Hannerz,Ulf2006.“StudyingDown,Up,Sideways,Through,Backwards,Forewards,Away
andatHome:ReflectionsontheFieldsWorriesofanExpansiveDiscipline”in:Locatingthe
Field:Space,PlaceandContextinAnthropology,S.Coleman&P.Collins(eds).Oxford:Berg
Publishers,23-41.
Hansen,MetteHalskov2006.“IntheFootstepsoftheCommunistParty”inHeimerM.and
StigThøgersen(eds)DoingFieldworkinChina.Copenhagen:NiASPress,81-95
Justesen,Lise&Mik-Meyer,Nanna2012."Focusgroups"inQualitativeResearchMethods
inOrganisationStudies.HansReitzelsforlag,75-95
Keesing,RogerM.2000.”Notarealfish:theethnographerasinsideoutsider”inDevita,
PhilipR.StumblingTowardTruth.Anthropologistsatwork.Waveland,107-112.
Kjellgren,Björn2006.“TheSignificanceofBenevolenceandWisdom–ReflectionsonField
Positionality”inHeimerM.andS.Thøgersen(eds)DoingFieldworkinChina.Copenhagen:
NiASPress,225-244.
Kvale,Steinar&Brinkmann,Svend2009."ConductinganInterview"inInterViews.
LearningtheCraftofQualitativeResearchInterviewing.SagePublications,123-143
Maanen,JohnVan2010.Talesofthefield.Onwritingethnography.Chicago:Universityof
ChicagoPress,73-100
Magolda,Peter,andLisaWeems.2002."Doingharm:Anunintendedconsequenceof
qualitativeinquiry?"JournalofCollegeStudentDevelopmentno.43(4):490.
Michrina,B.&C.Richards1996.“Oraldiscourse”inPersontoPerson:Fieldwork,Dialogueand
theHermeneuticMethod.Albany:StateUniversityofNewYork,49-58
Selmer,Bodil.2001."QuestionsofValidityinQualitativeResearch"inReportfromthe
workshopResearchandMethodology:ContentandContext.TheSocialResearchCenter.
TheAmericanUniversityinCairo,39-43
Spradley,James2000.“PartOne:Ethnographyandculture”in:ParticipantObservation.
NewYork:Holt,RinehardtandWinston,3-35
Spradley,James2000.“PartTwo:Thedevelopmentalresearchsequence.”(“Step
One”till“StepSix”)in:ParticipantObservation.NewYork:Holt,RinehardtandWinston.,37-
111.
Thøgersen,Stig2006.“BeyondOfficialLanguage”inHeimerM.andStigThøgersen(eds)
DoingFieldworkinChina.Copenhagen:NiASPress,110-126.
Wolcott,HarryF.1994."Confessionsofatrainedobserver"inTransformingqualitativedata.
Description,analysis,andinterpretation.SagePublications,149-172.
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