COMM 5005 Interpretive Research Methods
Fall 2003 Wednesdays 5:00pm-7:40pm
Office Hours: M & W 11:30-12:30, T 12:30-2:00
and by Appointment
Dr. Janet Yedes
Office: CAS 425
Email: jyedes@kean.edu
Phone: 908-737-0469
Required Text and Readings:
vanDijk, Teun A. (1997). Discourse as social interaction Discourse
Studies Volume 2. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Selected Readings which are on reserve at the Kean Library.
Course Objectives
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Overview interpretive methods of research in communication
Formulate research questions and select appropriate methods to
answer research questions
Interpret and evaluate communication research by presenting a
critical analysis of the research rational, methodology, results, and
implications
Discuss ethical and political considerations in doing research
Develop research arguments based on evidence from everyday
interactions and talk
Articulate communicative features in exemplar studies in a variety
of interpretive communication studies.
An intensive study of interpretive and critical research methods in
communication. Emphasis will be on specific interpretive methods such
as discourse analysis, textual analysis, interviews and focus groups.
This course provides an overview of interpretive methods of research in
communication. Students formulate research questions, select
appropriate methods to answer research questions, interpret and
evaluate communication research by presenting critical analyses of
research, and develop research arguments based on evidence from
everyday interactions and discourse.
Course Schedule (Subject to Changes)
Week 1
Sept 10
Goals of Interpretive Research
Explanatory
Interpretive
Critical or Emancipatory
Talk as Text
Transcription
Ethics and Politics of Doing Research
Week 2
Sept 17
Discourse as Interaction in Society
Read: van Dijk, Chapter 1
Doing Graduate Research in the Library
Read: Your selections: 1) one D&S 2) one ROLSI
DUE: Journal Articles Analysis and Presentation
Week 3
Sept 24
Conversation Analysis
Read: Pomerantz & Fehr, Chapter 3
Conversation Analysis
Historical Background
Assumptions and Methodological Implications
Tools for Analysis
Characterizing Actions
Ways Actions Implicate Identities, Roles, and
Relationships
Working Data Session
DUE: 5 min audio or video transcript
Week 4
Oct 1
Individual Consults
Meet with me one on one in VE413
DUE: research question, rationale, and working
bibliography (minimum of 5 scholarly sources)
Week 5
Oct 8
Organizational Discourse
Read: Mumby & Clair, Chapter 7
Read: Selections on Reserve
DUE: Communication and Activities Assignment
Week 6
Oct 15
Institutional Discourse
Read: Drew & Sorjonen, Chapter 4
Read: Selections on Reserve
Interpretive Research in Institutional Contexts
Institutional Dialogue
Institutional Interactions
Orienting to Institutional Identities
Managing Institutional Interactions
Goals and Tasks
Activities
Crucial Sites of Modern Social Life
Collaborative Workplace Practices
Week 7
Oct 22
Gender in Discourse
Read: West, Lazar & Kramarae, Chapter 5
Read: Selections on Reserve
Gender and Language Research around the
World
Language Use and the Social Construction of
Gender
Week 8
Oct 29
Discourse and Culture
Read: Goddard & Wierzbicka, Chapter 9
Read: Ethnography of Communication article
Read: Selections on Reserve
Constituting Society and Culture
DUE: Cultural Analysis
Week 9
Nov 5
Discourse, Ethnicity, Culture and Racism
Read: vanDijk, Ting-Toomey, Smitherman
& Troutman, Chapter 6
Read: Selections on Race, Ethnicity, Culture
relevant to your research (your selections
of scholarly comm article)
DUE: Summary & Critical Assessment of articles
and Presentation
Week 10
Nov 12
Interviewing. Ethnographic Research
Read: Selected Readings on Reserve
Read: J of Contemporary Ethnography article
Working Session
DUE: Draft Analysis Assignment
Week 11
Nov 19
NCA Convention
Week 12
Nov 26
Critical Discourse Analysis
Read: Fairclough & Wodak, Chapter 10
Critical Analysis in Action
Addressing Social Problems
Power Relations as Discursive
Ideological Work
Discourse as Historical
Mediated Texts
Communication as Social Action
DUE: Critical Textual Analysis
Week 13
Dec 3
Discourse and Politics
Read: Chilton & Schaffner, Chapter 8
Metaphor Analysis
Read: Selected Readings on Reserve
DUE: Metaphor Analysis Assignment
Week 14
Dec 10
Applied Discourse Analysis
Read: Gunnarson, Chapter 11
DUE: Applied Assignment
Week 15
Dec 17
Final Presentations
DUE: Final Papers
Course Evaluation
Journal Articles Analyses (Due Sept 17)
Audio or Video Transcript (Due Sept 24)
Communication Activities (Due Oct 8)
Cultural Analysis (Due Oct 29)
Articles Summary & Critique (Due Nov 5)
Critical Textual Analysis (Nov 26)
Metaphor Analysis (Dec 3)
Applied Assignment (Dec 10)
Final Paper
Participation
Individual Consults (Week 4)
Draft Analysis (Due Nov 12)
Grading Scale
187-200 A
180-186 A174-179 B+
167-173 B
160-166 B157-159 C+
150-156 C
140-149 D
Below 140 F
20
10
10
20
20
20
20
10
50
20
Course Policy and Procedures
Your presence, preparation, active participation, and substantive
contributions to the discussions are essential for successful completion
for this course.
All assignments, analyses, papers for the course must be typed or word
processed. Assignments are due on the scheduled dates. Your final paper
is due on the last class day when you present.
You are responsible for reading the text assignments and all other
readings on reserve prior to the class for which they are assigned.
All research projects must be approved by me well in advance of when
the project draft analysis and project are due. (See Consult Week 4.)
Be sure you keep your own copies of all written work. Keep all handouts
and written work for the course.
Please place any messages or papers for me in my mail box in VE409,
the main office for the Communication Department.
Interpretive
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2.
3.
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5.
Issues in Communication
Texts, Context/s and Talk
Aims
Power
Ideology
Intertextuality
Cultural Interpretations of Texts
1. Interpretive Communities
2. Hegemony vs. Counter-Hegemony
3. Multiple Cultural Readings
4. Selected Approaches
a. Ethnography of Communication
b. Cultural Studies
c. Rhetorical
d. Discourse Analytic
Ethnicity, Culture and Race in Discourse
1. Identities, Conflicts and Inequalities Expressed in Talk
a. Intragroup Discourse
b. Intergroup Discourse
2. Confluence of Race and Gender
3. Discourse and Race
4. Multicultural Interpretations of Texts
5. Interpretive Communities
Organizational Discourse
1. Critical Studies
2. Feminist Studies
Critical Interpretive Analysis
1. Theoretical Origins
2. Rhetorical
3. Discourse Analytic
Power and Textual Analysis
Online technology support for interpretive research methods in
communication
Research videos