FINAL VERSION, MARCH 5. 2014.
Introduction to qualitative methodology – based on the study of religious
world views and practices
Focusing on qualitative data and data processing, this intensive course takes the
students through a number of significant examples from very different religious
contexts. The intention is to develop the students’ ability to interpret religious
behaviour, texts, rethoric and items in social contexts on the basis of socialscientific strategies known as qualitative methodology.
The approach is non-theological. What interests us is how, why, and with what
consequences humans develop, maintain and abandon religion(s). In short we
shall work along the lines of sociology of religion, comparative religion, and
anthropology. We shall depart from empiricas examples, and build our
theoretical understanding on the interrogation into concrete cases.
The materials for the course will be:
1) Academic texts
2) Written sources from different religions
3) Pictures and objects of various kinds from different religions
3) DVD-films and internet material from different religions.
Empirical examples will cover a broad spectrum: Islam in Europe, the Catholic
Church in Lithuania, Euro-American new religious movements (especially New
Age religion and Scientology), Western European Protestantism, indigenous
peoples’ religions from Sarawak, Borneo (the Penan), Kanaka-Maoli from
Hawai’i, and Mato Grosso du Sul, Brazil (the Kaiowá).
Sources (texts, pictures, objects etc. from the religions in question) will be
presented during the course, and students will be asked to contribute
themselves as we go along.
Academic texts (please see below) will be scanned, and made available in at
Vytautas Magnus University’s Course FC box in late December 2013 or early
January 2014. Some books, however, must be obtained in other ways (also see
below).
Pre-assingments
A) In preparation for the course, students are asked to study a home page on
methodology in the study of religion, hosted by The University of Kent, England,
and write a 200 word summary of one of the methodological topics discussed on
the web site. The address is:
http://www.kent.ac.uk/religionmethods/index.html
B) Students are also asked to prepare a 200 word summary of text no. 2 (below)
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C) Finally, students are asked to write a 200 word summary of one of the
chapters in text no. 3 (also below).
Alle responses will be collected as we start the course. Following the course
students will prepare a more comprehensive assignment as their examination
project. Details will be provided at a later point.
General reading
1) Furseth, Inger & Pål Repstad 2006. An Introduction to the Sociology of Religion:
Classical And Contemporary Perspectives, Aldershot and Burlington: Ashgate (241
p.)
This book is for background reading and issues pertaining to the Christian
religions. Students are asked to obtain the book, either from libraries or via book
sellers (used books are very cheap via Alibris and Amazon). Please focus on
chapters 2, 6, 8, 9, 10 and 11.
2) Reece, Robert D. & Harvey A. Siegal 1986. Studying People. A Primer in the
Ethics of Social Research, Georgia: Mercer University Press.
This book introduces an important aspect of qualitative research; participant
observation. Scanned version available (pp. 71-132).
3) Alisauskiene, Milda & Ingo W. Schröder (eds.) 2012. Religious Diversity in
Post-Soviet Society. Ethnographies of Catholic Hegemony and the New Pluralism in
Lithuania, Farnham and Burlington: Ashgate.
This book presents the best available introduction into the current religious
landscape of Lithuania. As students will be asked to address issues with
relevance to Lithuanian society, the book will serve as an important backdrop to
our discussions. The book is available at the VMU library.
4) King, Katherine & Peter J. Hemming 2012. ”Exploring Multiple Religious
Identities through Mixed Qualitative Methods”, Fieldwork in Religion vol. 7.1. pp.
29-47.
This article gives an example of how complex qualitative research may be, and
how much the researcher has to take into account in terms of methodological
reflexivity. Scanned version available.
5) Khan, Asma et al. 2012. ”Reflections on Qualitative Research with Muslim
Families”, Fieldwork in Religion vol. 7.1. pp. 48-69.
This article is an example of how to investigate socio-religious processes within a
minority immigrant community. Scanned version available.
Indigenous Peoples’ Religions
The Penan of Borneo
Rothstein, Mikael 2007. “Chaos in Sarawak's Rainforest”.
Published online on ANPERE’s homepage: http://www.anpere.net/2007/14.pdf
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Rothstein, Mikael 2006 [published 2008]. “Watching Birds and People: Where
Anthropology Meets Ornithology. A Few Personal Remarks”, Fieldwork in
Religion, vol. 2, no. 2 pp. 160-176.
Scanned version available.
The Kaiowá of Brazil
Rothstein, Mikael 2008. “Individual Drawings and Collective Representations
Perceptions of Death Among Kaiowá Youth”
Published online on ANPERE’s homepage: http://www.anpere.net/2008/5.pdf
2) New religions
Texts in New Religious Movements
Hammer, Olav & Mikael Rothstein, “Introduction: The Study of New Religions”,
in: Olav Hammer & Mikael Rothstein (eds.), The Cambridge Companion to New
Religions, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 2012, pp. 1-12.
Scanned chapter available
Hammer, Olav & Mikael Rothstein, “Canonical and Extra-Canonical Texts in New
Religions”, in: Olav Hammer & Mikael Rothstein (eds.), The Cambridge
Companion to New Religions, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 2012, pp.
113-122.
Scanned chapter available
Rituals in New Religions
Harvey, Graham, “Rituals in new religions”, in: Olav Hammer & Mikael Rothstein
(eds.), The Cambridge Companion to New Religions, Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press 2012, pp. 97-112.
Scanned chapter available
Scientology
Rothstein, Mikael 2009. ”’His name was Xenu. He used renegades...’ Aspects of
Scientology’s Founding Myth”, James R. Lewis (ed.), Scientology, Oxford
University Press, New York, pp. 365-388
PDF version available.
9) Rothstein, Mikael [forthcoming], ”Emblematic Architecture and the
Routinisation of Charisma in Scientology” (23 p.)
PDF version available.
Sources
Various texts, pictures, films etc. will be presented during the course.
Furthermore, students will be asked to contribute by presenting sources,
examples etc.
Course Plan
General themes are given. Concrete materials (i.e. specific cases) mentioned
above, will be used as the comparative backdrop throughout the week.
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Monday 24. 10-17 (lunch break 12-13)
Qualitative methodologies in sociological research on religion: Introduction
Objectivity, subjectivity, thick description, thin description, participant
observation (open, hidden), high validity, low validity, representability,
reliability, tight interview, open interview, structure, semi-structure, high grade
structure, low grade structure, control, informed consent, testcases, context,
power relations, research designs and much, much more…
Tuesday 25. 10-17 (lunch break 12-13)
The application of qualitative methodology (I): Concrete examples from various
research initiatives
Presentation of my own projects, reflections of mistakes and successes etc.
Lectures, PowerPoint- and DVD-presentations. Discussions and critique with
reference to course literature.
Wedensday 26. 10-17 (lunch break 12-13)
The application of qualitative methodology (II): Student experimentations
With reference to the course literature, we shall try to conduct model semistructured interviews, by means of research guided role play. Subsequent
reflexions and critique.
Thursday 27. 10-17 (lunch break 12-13)
Physical environments, objects and images: The hard ware of sociological contexts.
Focus on objects and images bought to the course by students. Introducing “the
Material Turn” in social sciences and the humanities. Objects as communication
and symbols of power etc. A new trend in qualitative studies. Based on a recent
Danish research application (not uploaded, but will be made available during the
course).
Friday 28. 10-17 (lunch break 12-13)
A) Preparing student assignment.
First step in the construction of (small) research designs; identifiaction of
subjects; methodologies; material.
B) Rounding up the course
Conclusions, remarks etc.
The language of the course, including the students’ essays, is English (as the
teacher has, unfortunately, no language abilities in Lithuanian).
I am looking vey much forward to a week of intense work in the academic
laboratory.
Best wishes
Mikael
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Mikael Rothstein, MA, PH.D. Associate Professor, University of Southern
Denmark, Visiting Professor at Vytautus Magnus University, Kaunas
Email: rothstein@sdu.dk
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