This is a senior-level course in anthropological research methods that reviews issues in ethnographic research. The focus is on gaining skills and practice in doing ethnographic research. The course involves learning about research methods and then applying them to a subject of each student’s interest. You will gain practical experience in defining a research problem, doing background literature research, writing a research proposal, and carrying out and presenting a small independent field project. This course allows the opportunity to learn through experience and complements Anthropology 401: Ethnography, the Writing of Culture.
Objectives
Understand the processes of ethnographic research and research design in ethnography
Understand the implications of methodological choices and their relationship to research questions and settings
Benefit from practical experience with ethics applications, ethnographic field methods, and the process of creating a research proposal
Outline
The course consists of the following units:
Unit 1: Introduction and the Nature of Ethnographic Research
Unit 2: Ethnography as Qualitative Research
Unit 3: Defining a Research Problem or Question
Unit 4: Research Design—Matching Methods, Locale, and Time Frame
Unit 5: Ethics in Human Research
Unit 6: Documentary Research and Literature Review
Unit 7: Research Techniques—Participant Observation and Interviewing
Unit 8: Visual Methods—Ethnographic Film, Video, and Photography in Ethnography
Unit 9: Organizing Data and Data Analysis
Unit 10: Research Proposals and Project Design
Evaluation
To receive credit for ANTH 402, you must achieve a grade of at least D (50 percent) on each of the assignments. The weighting of the composite grade is as follows:
Activity
Weight
Assignment 1: Essay on Ethnographic Research Methods
20%
Assignment 2: Statement of Research Area
5%
Assignment 3: Ethics Form for Field Research Project (for the field assignment)
5%
Assignment 4: Annotated Bibliography
15%
Assignment 5: Field Research Assignment
25%
Assignment 6: Research Proposal with Literature Review and Ethics Form
30%
Total
100%
To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University’s online Calendar.
Materials
Marshall, Catherine, and Gretchen B. Rossman. Designing Qualitative Research. 7th ed. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications, 2022. (eText)
Watson, C. W., ed. Being There: Fieldwork in Anthropology. London, Sterling, VA: Pluto Press, 1999. (Print)
Ellen, R. F., ed. Ethnographic Research: A Guide to General Conduct. London: Academic Press, 1987. (Print)
Athabasca University reserves the right to amend course outlines occasionally and without notice. Courses offered by other delivery methods may vary from their individualized study counterparts.