COMM 471: Ethnography
May Mini-term 2009
M-F 10:00am- 2:00pm
Professor:
Susan I. Dummer, Ph.D.
Office:
Anderson Hall Room 18
Office Hours: By appointment
Daytime Phone:
863-7958
E-mail:
Susan_Dummer@georgetowncollege.edu
Mailing Address:
Susan Dummer
400 East College Street
Georgetown, KY 40324
 Each student is expected to have access to their Georgetown College E-mail. I will
send notices and reminders via the student college emails. If you do not currently
use your Georgetown Email you will need to begin using it or forward the mail from
your Georgetown account to an account you use. I will not use accounts that are not
Georgetown College accounts. Go to
http://spider.georgetowncollege.edu/infoweb/newstudents/campustech/email.htm
or click on spider on the following links Students/Computing Information/GC Email.
Required Readings:
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Emerson, R., Fretz, R. I., & Shaw, L. L. (1995). Writing Ethnographic Field Notes.
Chicago: University of Chicago Press. (215 pages)
Fetterman, D. M. (1998). Ethnography: Step by Step. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.
(146 pages)
Course Readings, on reserve in library (256 Pages)
Book of students choice from suggested list
Videos:
 An anthropological introduction to Youtube (vodpod.com—58 min.)
 Doing anthropology (techtv.mit.edu—9 min.)
 The Heart Broken in Half (Dwight Conquergood—58 min.)
 The Pilgrim Must Embark (Mara Adelman—45 min.)
Prerequisite: COMM 115 or 200
Course Description and Objectives:
 The purpose of this course is to explore the use of ethnography in the study of
communication situations. Students will develop an understanding of where
ethnography is situated within social science research, as well as what types of social
situations lend themselves to ethnographic research. Students will understand an
engage in ethnographic data collection and analysis of a communication phenomenon
of their choosing.
Class Format & Attendance:
 The class format will be discussion-oriented. Discussions will consist of class
participation of assigned readings. Questions and class participation are strongly
encouraged.
 Class attendance is mandatory. Students who miss class due to an unexcused absence
will receive a 10 point deduction per class hour missed (one day of class =40 point
deduction).
 Attendance on class trips is mandatory. We will take two class outings to engage in
observation and note-taking.
Course Requirements:
I.
Assigned Readings and Lecture information (2 hrs. per night)
o Students are responsible for all assigned readings (books and
supplemental readings). Students are required to read the material
before class and be prepared to discuss the material in class. The
readings will be divided into chapters per class period, it is important that
students read the chapters assigned before coming to class each day;
however, students are encouraged to read ahead if possible.
II.
Exam- 300 points – Due Friday, June 19th (approx. 10 hours of work)
o One take home exam will be assigned the last day of class. The questions
will be in essay format. Students will be expected to integrate material
from lecture, discussions, videos, readings, guest speakers and class trips
in their answers. Exam answers must be typed. Due Friday, June 19th.
III.
Reflection Papers 80 points- Due IN CLASS each day (refer to schedule) (One
hour per night)
o Students are expected to write 8, one-typed-page reflection papers
reflecting on the prompts given in the syllabus. These papers should
summarize the pages read and discuss the student’s opinions and ideas
about the readings. Due on class days 1-5 and 7-9.
IV.
Field Notes Journal and Analysis-2 @ 200 points each (10 hours total of work)
o Students will participate in two assigned data gathering outings. They
will turn in the field notes taken during those outings and the analysis of
those notes. Journal 1 due May 22, Analysis 1 due May 26, Journal 2 and
Analysis 2 due May 29.
V.
Book Analysis -100 points- Due Saturday May 23rd (approx 15 hrs of work)
o Students will choose a book based on an ethnographic research project.
They will summarize the book and then discuss issues such as ethics in
ethnography, the role of the participant observer, and types of data
collection and analysis used. Due Monday, May 25th.
VI.
Book Analysis presentation-50 points-Due Saturday May 23rd
o Students will give a formal presentation summarizing the book for the
class and discussing the issues approached in the paper. This presentation
WILL BE graded on content, organization, style, and delivery.
VII.
Participation-70 points
o Students are expected to engage in class discussion, and be prepared with
questions for each day’s class. Formal, written questions need not be
submitted. However, lack of discussion and participation will be noted,
and students may be penalized up to 7 points each day for not being
engaged in class.
*Assignments that are due in class must be submitted as hard copies; however, assignments
that are due after the last day of class must be submitted electronically via Blackboard rather
than through email attachments.
*A late assignment will receive a letter grade deduction for each day the assignment is late.
All assignments must be submitted in hard copy form. Email-submissions will not be
accepted. Referencing in papers should be in APA format.
Course Grades:
1 take-home exam
Reflection Papers
Journal & Analysis
Book Review
Book Review Presentation
Participation
Total points :
Grading Scale:
1000-930
A
929-880
A/B
879-830
B
829-780
B/C
779-700
C
699-600
D
599 –Below F
300
80
400
100
50
70
1000
Academic Misconduct:
The Georgetown College Honor System (page 181 in the student handbook) states that
infractions of the honor system are the following: cheating, plagiarism, stealing, lying (in
academic matters), forgery, double assignments (use of one assignment to fulfill the
requirements of more than one course). Anyone engaging in academic misconduct will be dealt
with according to college policies outlined in the student handbook page.
Special Needs:
If you need any assistance in the classroom due to a disability, please contact Disability
Services at (863)-8004/7074/7956 during the first week of class so that arrangements can be
made to accommodate you. After initial arrangements have been made with that office, please
contact me.
Office Hours:
I encourage each of you to schedule an appointment with me if you need additional
help outside of class. Also you may e-mail me any questions you might have.
Changes in Syllabus:
I reserve the right to make changes to the syllabus as is deemed necessary. I will give as
much notice as possible if a change is needed.
Class Schedule:
The class schedule listed on the next page is only a tentative schedule that may be
changed if necessary. Any changes to this outline will be discussed in class. It is your
responsibility to become aware of due dates for assignments, projects, and exams by looking at
the schedule and by being attentive to any changes to due dates that are discussed in class.
Date:
May 18
Class Agenda:
Reading
Lecture: How does ethnography fit
within traditional social science
methods?
Lincoln & Guba (32 pages)
Video: Vodpod.com
An anthropological introduction to
Youtube
Fetterman Ch. 1 (13 pages)
Merrigan & Huston (23 pages)
Reflection due:
What is ethnography?
Discussion: What is ethnography?
May 19
Lecture: Communication and
Anthropology: The role of the
participant observer
Fetterman Ch 2 (13 pages)
Video: Techtv.mit.edu
“Doing Anthropology”
“Dance Anthropology”
Hickey, Thompson, Foster (28
pages)
Discussion: How do we explain
culture?
Lecture: Writing fieldnotes and
finding participants
Trujillo (26 pages)
Reflection due:
How do you navigate the role of
participant observer?
Fetterman Ch 3 (31 pages)
Emerson, Fretz, Shaw (38 pages)
May 20
Video:
“The Heart Broken in Half”
Discussion: Ethical considerations in
ethnography
Class outing—Data Collection
*recommended*
Conquergood (15 pages)
Reflection due:
What communication
phenomenon will you study? Why
is ethnography appropriate?
Emerson, Fretz, Shaw (68 pages)
May 21
Discussion: Writing up your
observations
Lecture: Interpreting data and
presenting it
Reflection: What is worth writing
in your field notes?
Cherry and Smith (27 pages)
Cherry (35 pages)
May 22
Video:
The Pilgrim Must Embark
Reflection: Contrast the two
Cherry articles
Field notes journal 1 due
Book discussion presentations
Book review paper due
May 23
Fetterman Ch. 4 (21 pages)
Lecture: What does it all mean?
May 26
Discussion: How do we allow the
subjects’ voice(s) to be heard above
our own?
Emerson, Fretz, Shaw Ch. 5&6
(60 pages)
Reflection: My meaning or
theirs?
Fetterman Ch. 5&6 (35 pages)
Class outing—Data Collection
May 27
Reflection: Doing thick
description
Field notes Analysis 1 due
May 28
Lecture: Autoethnography
Miller (29 pages)
Discussion: Is it research at all?
Ellis & Bochner (22 pages)
Ellis (19 pages)
Reflection: Autoethnography:
Research or just a diary?
Take home exam assigned:
May 29
Discussion:
Tying it all together
Due June 19th
Journal and Analysis 2 Due
References
Cherry, K. (1996). Ain’t no grave deep enough. Journal of Contemporary Ethnography, 25 (1), 22-57.
Cherry, K. & Smith, D. H. (1993). Sometimes I cry: The experience of loneliness for men with AIDS. Health
Communication, 5, 181-208.
Conquergood, D. (1991). Rethinking ethnography: Towards a critical cultural politics. Communication
Monographs, 58, 179-194.
Ellis, C. (1993). “There are no survivors”: Telling a story of sudden death. The Sociological Quarterly, 34 (4),
711-730.
Ellis, C. & Bochner, A. P. (1992). Telling and performing personal stories: The constraints of choice in abortion.
In C. Ellis & M. G. Flaherty (Eds.) Investigating Subjectivity: Research on Lived Experience (pp. 79-101).
Newbury Park, CA: SAGE.
Hickey, J. V., Thompson, W. E., & Foster, D. L. (1988). Becoming the Easter Bunny: Socialization into a fantasy
Role. Journal of Contemporary Ethnography, 17 (1), 67-95.
Lincoln, Y. S. & Guba, E. G. (1985). Naturalistic Inquiry. Newbury Park, CA: SAGE. 14-46.
Merrigan, G. & Huston, C. L. (2009). Communication Research Methods. New York: Oxford University Press.
232-255.
Miller, K. I. (2002). The experience of emotion in the workplace: Professing in the midst of tragedy. Management
Communication Quarterly, 15 (4), 571-600.
Trujillo, N. (2002). In search of Naunny’s history: Reproducing gender ideology in family stories. Women’s
Studies in Communication, 25 (1), 88-118.