Ethnographic Methods
Anth 4170/6170
CRN 14578
(fulfills methods requirement)
Spring 2013
M, F 11:30-12:45 pm
ELCS 053
Bonnie Glass-Coffin, PhD
Office: OM 245E
797-4064
bonnie.glasscoffin@usu.edu
Office hours: M, W, F 9:30-10:20 and W 17:00-18:00
Course objectives:
The goal of this course is to provide students with practical training and experience in the
use of ethnographic field methods. Students will be introduced to a "tool-kit" of methods
that ethnographers often use including mapping, unobtrusive observation, participant
observation, ethnographic and life-history interviewing, and an introduction to
participatory research methodologies. Throughout the course, students will be introduced
to ethical issues that impact ethnographic research. As part of this course, students use
skills acquired to design, conduct, and "write-up" an ethnographic research project in
consultation with the instructor (oral report of research serves as extra-credit for
undergraduate student and is a required part of course for graduate students).
Course assessment guidelines:
In addition to general objectives listed above, by the end of this course you will:
1) Be familiar with different theoretical and methodological orientations to ethnographic
research; comparing and contrasting strengths and weaknesses of these.
2) Be certified with the Utah State University Institutional Research Board to carry out
field research with human subjects
3) Be familiar with specific qualitative methods utilized to conduct “traditional”
ethnographic research including unobtrusive observation, participant observation,
ethnographic interviewing, cognitive mapping, as well as participatory methods typical of
an “action research” paradigm of inquiry.
4) Be familiar with best-practice protocols for choosing field sites, gaining entry, building
rapport, facilitating participatory research, organizing community meetings, mediating
conflicts
5) Know how to write, organize, analyze various types of ethnographic field notes
6) Be familiar with the basic design, construction and posing of ethnographic questions
and problems, as well as brief research proposals
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7) Be familiar with how to design and critically interpret ethnographic reports specific to
various audiences
8) Have designed, conducted, and written-up a term length research project.
Required texts:
Ethnography Essentials: Designing, Conducting, and Presenting Your Research by
Julian M. Murchison (2010)
Writing Ethnographic Fieldnotes by Robert M. Emerson, Rachel I. Fretz and Linda L.
Shaw, (2nd ed. 2011)
Ethnographic Fieldwork: An Anthropological Reader, Edited by Antonius C.G. M.
Robben and Jeffrey A. Sluka, (2nd ed. 2012)
Course requirements and evaluations:
Participation in classroom meetings and discussions =
discussion scores will be dropped)
Writing assignments and field-work exercises =
Exercise #1 =
10
Exercise #2 =
10
Exercise #3 =
10
Exercise #4 =
10
Exercise #5 =
20
Exercise #6 =
25
Exercise #7 =
10
Exercise #8 =
15
Exercise #9 =
30
Exercise#10 =
20
Exercise #11=
20
Exercise #12 = 20
Written Final Report =
50 points (lowest 2
200 points as follows
100 points
Total points possible = 350 points
Note: Extra credit points possible =25
(oral presentation of project) = 25
Graduate students complete all of the above assignments plus:
Lit review required as part of written ethnography =
Leading in-class discussions of readings as noted in syllabus =
Oral presentation of research:
50 points
100 points
50 points
Total graduate student points possible = 550 points
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Instructor has received USU Training in FERPA guidelines. Student FERPA rights to
privacy are available from instructor upon request
Students with documented disabilities are encouraged to register with the USU
Disability Resource Center and to discuss required accommodations with instructor.
Course Outline:
Week 1:
Mon, Jan 7
Required reading: none
Lecture topic: Introductions, overview of course objectives and course, requirements.
What is ethnographic research and why should we do it?
Fri, Jan 11
Required reading: Murchison (pp. 1-18) and Emerson, Fretz and Shaw (pp. 1-20),
Body Ritual Among the Nacirema (on Canvas)
Assignment: Exercise #1: Unobtrusive observation (we will do this as a class). Turnin fieldnotes for credit (up to 10 points possible)
Discussion #1: Post a list of at least 3 questions about how ethnographic writing
compares/contrasts with other styles of writing to Canvas before class meeting. Bring
a copy of these to class and hand-in to instructor to guarantee you get “participation
points” for in-class discussion for the day (up to 5 points possible)
Lecture topic: The anthropological orientation (Cultures and sub-cultures, Making the
familiar strange, the researcher as instrument)
Week 2:
Mon, Jan 14
Required reading: Murchison, pp. 19-36, Robben and Sluka, pp. 69-81
Discussion #2: (Robben and Sluka). Write a brief paragraph about your reactions to
the Malinowski writing. What are strengths and weaknesses of his choice of topics
and approach to fieldwork/writing? Post on Canvas PRIOR to class meeting. Bring a
copy to hand in during class (this ensures you get participation points). Be prepared to
discuss. (Up to 5 points possible)
Lecture topics: Objectives and orientation to ethnographic research and writing:
(cultural relativism, ethnocentrism, holism, emics and etics)
Fri, Jan 18
Assignment: Exercise #2: Choosing an ethnographic topic. Write a paragraph about a
topic that you are interested in pursuing. Frame as a research question to be answered
or a problem to be solved. POST to Canvas. Bring a copy to class. Be prepared to
discuss. (Up to 10 points possible)
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Lecture topic: The elements of ethnographic research. (observation, participation,
written description, analysis, report). Introduction to ethical consideration and
concerns.
Week 3:
Mon, Jan 21(No class)
Required reading: Murchison, (pp. 37-50), on-line readings for USU-IRB certification
Assignment: Exercise #3: Complete USU-IRB certification process. Go to
http://rgs.usu.edu/irb/htm/training/certification-procedures/ and follow instructions.
(MUST be completed by Friday, Jan 25th). (Up to 10 points possible)
Fri, Jan 25
Required reading: Emerson, Fretz and Shaw, pp. 21-43
Lecture topic: Watch “Anthropology on Trial” and discuss.
Discussion #3: Discuss video. Post your one paragraph answer to the following
question on canvas by Saturday evening at midnight: “What ethical issues does the
video illustrate? What steps can I take to ensure that ethnographic research is ‘useful
and bearable’ to the people who are the subjects of my research project?” Graduate
students summarize video key points and lead in-class discussion (Up to 5 points
possible for participation in discussion/paragraph submitted to Canvas. Up to 20
additional points for graduate students who lead discussion)
Assignment: Exercise #4 Visit a site where activities occur that correspond with your
current interests for potential term length field project. (If these activities are not
occurring in a public setting, make sure you get permission to be there and inform
those conducting activities why you’re taking notes). Spend at least one hour
observing (and possibly participating) in activities at the site. Take “jot-notes” (see
Ch. 2 of Emerson, Fretz, and Shaw). You do NOT need to bring these to class or post
to Canvas but taking these jot notes will be a crucial step for completing Exercise #5
next week. (Up to 10 points possible)
Week 4
Mon, Jan 28
Required reading: Emerson, Fretz, and Shaw, pp. 44-87 and Murchison, pp. 67-81.
Assignment: Exercise #5: Expand jot notes from last week’s observation on a word
processor so that they are at least 5-7 typed double-spaced pages (see Chapter 3 of
Emerson, Fretz, and Shaw). Post the expanded notes on Canvas BEFORE CLASS.
Be prepared SHARE these notes with a classmate during Monday class. (Up to 20
points possible)
Discussion #4: Divide into dyads, share/discuss notes with each other. (Up to 5
points possible)
Lecture topic: The in’s and out’s of note taking. Types of notebooks, what to
include, what to leave out, begin a discussion of human research ethics.
Fri, Feb 1
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Required reading: Murchison, pp. 51-63.
Assignment: Exercise #6 Prepare a 1-2 page research proposal that includes
information about i) what you propose to study (be sure to pose as a research
question), ii) why you find the study important/significant, iii) how you will go
about conducting the research (include information about methods you will use, # of
participants you anticipate, how you will recruit participants, how you will meet
“informed consent” guidelines that you learned about in CITI certification process).
(Up to 25 points possible: POST a copy of your research proposal on Canvas and
bring a copy to class for discussion).
Week 5
Mon, Feb 4
Required reading: Murchison, pp. 82-114
Lecture topic: Ethnographic methods: participant observation and the ethnographic
interview.
Assignment, Exercise #7: students bring research ideas that were the focus of the
proposal to class, and collectively work on operationalizing research questions as well
as discussing elements of the ethnographic toolkit that will be most useful for the
proposed research. Each student posts (by midnight Wednesday) at least two research
questions that are “reworked” via the discussion experience as evidence of
participation in class discussion. (Up to 10 points possible)
Fri, Feb 8
Required reading: Robben and Sluka, pp. 92-102 and pp. 114-123, Glass-Coffin
(Anthropology and Humanism: on canvas).
Lecture: Perspectives on fieldwork: The pros-cons of observation, and radical
participation in ethnographic fieldwork.
Discussion #5: Before class, post a paragraph on canvas that describes the pros and
cons of observation v participation in ethnographic fieldwork using examples from
the readings to illustrate your insights. Be prepared to discuss in class. Graduate
students summarize readings and facilitate in-class discussion (Up to 5 points
possible. Graduate students receive up to 20 points for leading discussion)
Week 6
Mon, Feb 11th
Required reading: Robben and Sluka, pp. 143-174
Lecture: Entering the field and establishing rapport.
Fri, Feb. 15
Required reading: Robben and Sluka, pp. 199-209 and 219-233
Lecture topic: From rapport to reaction: making our research bearable.
Discussion #6: Post a paragraph on canvas that discusses insights from readings and
questions raised by these as they relate to proposed research. Be prepared to discuss
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in class. Graduate students must be prepared to summarize readings and lead in-class
discussion (Up to 5 points possible, graduate students receive up to 20 points for
leading discussion)
Week 7:
Tues Feb 19 (NO CLASS)
Please use the long weekend to begin your research project. We will reconvene on
Friday to discuss your progress.
Fri, Mar 1
Required reading: Murchison, pp. 127-155
Lecture topic: Additional methods in the toolkit: spatial representations (maps and
charts)
Assignment, exercise #8: Map your field site. This exercise can be completed in one
of two ways. i) create a spatial representation based on your own observations. ii)
create, together with research stakeholders a “cognitive map” of community
resources, social networks/tensions between community members, or sacred sites.
(Up to 15 points possible. Bring completed map (exercise #8) to class and be
prepared to discuss).
Discussion #7: Presentation and explanation of maps created (Up to 5 points
possible)
Week 8:
Mon, Feb 25
Required reading: Emerson, Fretz and Shaw, (pp. 89-127)
Assignment #9: Complete and write-up an instance of “participant observation.” This
requires at least 1.5 hour “immersion” as a participant observer and fieldnotes “writeup” that includes at least 2 pages of “scratch notes” and 7-10 pages of “expanded
notes.” Post expanded notes on canvas no later than Thursday morning. (Up to 30
points possible)
Lecture topic: Discuss issues that are emerging in ethnographic research projects
Fri, Mar 1st
Required reading: Emerson, Fretz and Shaw, (pp. 128-169)
Discussion #8: Write a paragraph and post to canvas before class that discusses
choices in presenting fieldnotes as well as issues related to perspective and “member
meanings” in fieldnotes. Be prepared to present selected “snippets” from participant
observation exercise and discuss in terms of readings. (Up to 5 points possible)
Week #9
Mon, Mar 4th
Required reading: Robben and Sluka, pp. 256-295 and 318-330
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Discussion #9: Write and post a paragraph about the “realities,” the ethical
responsibilities and the dangers of ethnographic fieldwork that are discussed in the
readings. Be prepared to discuss in class. Graduate students facilitate in-class
discussion (Up to 5 points possible, graduate students receive up to 20 points for
leading discussion)
Lecture topic: Ethnographic interviews (Selecting informants, ethical issues,
triangulating, kinds of interviews and interview questions, paying attention to
language/identifying the speaker and recording verbatim phrases, recording, charting
and transcribing the interview).
Fri, Mar 8th
Required reading: Review Murchison, pp. 99-14, Read Murchison, pp. 157-169
Assignment #10: Interviewing. Conduct an ethnographic interview. Transcribe and
POST at least 3-5 pages of direct interview transcription to Canvas before class. Be
prepared to discuss the experience during class. (Up to 20 points possible)
Lecture topic: Ethnographic interviews, continued. Using archival data.
For next time:
Spring Break (Mar 11-15). No class meetings. Continue research and field-writing.
Week 10:
Mon, Mar 18th
Required reading: Emerson, Fretz and Shaw, pp. 177-199 and Murchison, pp. 171182
Lecture topic: Introduction to Dedoose. Uploading, Creating excerpts, Coding. The
pros and cons of indexing v. coding.
Fri, March 22nd
Lecture topic: More on Dedoose. Reviewing excerpts, analyzing fieldnotes,
discerning emerging themes.
Week 11:
Mon, Mar 25th
Required reading: Murchison, pp. 183-194
Lecture topic: Analyzing fieldnotes, continued, recovering “the big picture.”
Assignment #11: Post on canvas a 2-3 page analysis of emerging themes. (Up to 20
points possible)
Fri, March 29th
Required reading: Robben and Sluka, pp. 306-317, 331-352, pp. 359-364, pp. 593611.
Lecture topic: Ethics (again).
Discussion #10. After scanning the readings for this week and choosing at least two
to re-read with attention, post a paragraph on canvas that addresses the following
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question: “Is it ever ethical for anthropologists to work for the U.S. government in
defense of national security? Whatever your position on this question, use readings to
reflect on your arguments. (Graduate students read ALL readings and lead in-class
discussion). (Up to 5 points possible. Graduate students receive up to 20 points for
leading discussion)
Week 12:
Mon, Apr 1st
Required reading: Robben and Sluka, pp. 443-510. (Students divide into groups. Each
group, under direction of one of the graduate students, prepares one of the chapters
for presentation and discussion).
Assignment #12. Each reading group presents a 5-10 minute powerpoint presentation
about “Sensorial Ethnography” and the kinds of ethnographic representations (sound
recordings, images, etc) that might come from these approaches. (Up to 20 points
possible)
Discussion: #11 Each student posts a paragraph on canvas commenting on the pros
and cons of strictly text-based ethnographies. (Up to 5 points possible)
Fri, Apr 5th
Meet in Special Collections at Merrill-Cazier Library for Presentation about archival
research
Week #13
Mon, Apr 8th
Required reading: Emerson, Fretz and Shaw, pp. 201-242
Lecture topic: Piecing it all together. Things to consider in preparing the ethnographic
report.
Fri, Apr 12th
Required reading: Robben and Sluka, pp. 520-562 (Each student reads any 2 of the 4
essays in the section on “reflexive ethnography.” Graduate student read ALL of the
essays and lead in-class discussion.
Lecture topic: Pros, cons and cautions of reflexive approaches to ethnographic
writing.
Discussion #12: Post one paragraph on canvas about pros-cons-and-cautions of
reflexive approaches to ethnographic writing. Be prepared to discuss in class. (Up to
5 points possible)
Week #14
Mon, Apr 15th
Required reading: Murchison, pp. 195-222
Lecture topic: Preparing the final report
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Fri, April 19th
No class meeting: Sign-up for individual consultation with instructor
Week #15
Mon, Apr 22nd
Required readings: none
Presentation of research reports (required for graduate students, optional extra-credit
for undergraduates. Up to 25 points possible)
Fri, April 26th
Required readings: none
Presentations of research reports (required for graduate students, optional extra-credit
for undergraduates. Up to 25 points possible for undergraduates, 50 points for
graduate students.)
FINAL WRITTEN RESEARCH PROJECTS DUE BY Wed, May 1st at 5:00 pm
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