SYLLABUS FOR QUALITATIVE RESEARCH METHODS AND …



SYLLABUS FOR QUALITATIVE RESEARCH METHODS AND ANALYSIS

To hold the conviction that we know enough already and don’t need to know others’ stories is not only anti-intellectual; it also leaves us, at one extreme, prone to

violence to others.

-- I. E. Seidman

SOC 3156, Fall 2007 Dr. Janelle Wilson

Qualitative Research Methods & Analysis Cina 228b

12:00-1:40 p.m., MW 726-6364

Cina 214 jwilson2@d.umn.edu

Purpose/Objectives of this Course

Class participants will learn about and employ qualitative research methods in their study of human behavior and social life. A number of approaches will be introduced (including, for example, participant observation, interviewing, and action research). Class participants will gain an appreciation for and understanding of the ethical dimensions of research in the social sciences. Assigned research projects will engage each class participant in the process of research.

Class Format

This class will combine lecture, discussion, and in-class group activities. The idea is to run the class like a seminar -- working toward an atmosphere where ideas are exchanged and research experiences are shared. On occasion, class time will be lab time – i.e., an opportunity for you to engage in observation and data collection in various settings.

Textbooks/Required Readings

There are two required books for this course:

Qualitative Methods in Social Research, by Kristin Esterberg.

Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2002.

Slim’s Table: Race, Respectability, and Masculinity, by Mitchell Duneier.

Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1992.

Additional required reading (On Library Reserve – Online Resources):

" 'Justify My Ideology': Madonna and Traditional Values" (Wilson & Markle).

Popular Music and Society 16(2), pp. 75-84. 1992.



“Blue Ring Around a White Collar: An Application of Marginality” (Wilson)

ETC: A Review of General Semantics 59(1), pp. 25-31, Spring 2002.

Course Requirements

Assignments We will take a “hands-on” approach to qualitative research, and thus will, as a group, engage in activities (small group discussions, thought exercises, etc.) in the classroom.

In addition to in-class activities, though, you will be expected to complete 2 mini-assignments, worth 30 points each. For each of these assignments, you should type up a two-page reaction paper. On the day that an assignment is due, each class participant will briefly share his/her “findings” with the class (this is mandatory; without this component, 10 points will automatically be docked from the score).

The mini-assignments are as follows:

ASSIGNMENT 1: Microethnography

Place yourself at a particular location (e.g., a coffee house, shopping mall, airport, etc.). Bring a notepad with you and take fieldnotes. For a minimum of 20 minutes observe the people around you –

What are they doing?

What social positions do they occupy?

How are they enacting their roles?

What are their sentiments/emotions?

How does social context influence – even constrain – their behavior?

What is the body language?

Are they conforming to social norms?

Organize your fieldnotes and write a two-page report of your findings. Plus, address the following: Why did you select this setting? What did you learn? Did you participate in this setting, or were you an unobtrusive observer? If you participated, how might you have influenced what you observed?

ASSIGNMENT 2: For this assignment, refer to Exercise 1 on page 149 of the Esterberg text – ‘Consider a group that you might like to conduct activist research with. Outline a strategy that you might use to begin your research. How might you identify stakeholders? How might you get the process started while still allowing participation by the coresearchers? What strategies can you think of to ensure full participation?’ In your reaction paper, also address the following: Why did you select this group? Following an Action Research approach, what particular research methods would be useful or relevant in carrying out this research?

Research Paper Each of you will write a research paper, employing qualitative methods: Arrive at research questions about a given topic and carry out your research by employing the best suited qualitative method(s). The topic and approach must be approved ahead of time.

The paper should follow the format as described by Esterberg (in Chapter 10) -- i.e., introduction, literature review, methods, findings, conclusion. Part of the requirement for these papers is that you give an oral presentation to the class (thus providing an opportunity to share your research with the class); these presentations will be given at the end of the semester, as indicated in the course outline. The paper is worth 100 points.

(The requirements for this paper assignment are outlined in greater detail at the end of the syllabus).

Please turn all of these assignments in on time (due dates are indicated in the course outline). For each day that an assignment is late, five points will be docked from the score. If a week has passed since the due date, the assignment will not be accepted.

Exams Three essay exams will be given over the course of the semester -- each worth 100 points. Make-up exams will be given only under exceptional circumstances.

Grades

A total of 460 points is possible:

2 Assignments @ 30 points each 60 pts.

Research Paper @ 100 points 100 pts.

3 Exams @ 100 points each 300 pts.

460 pts.

Final grades will be determined by dividing the total number of points earned by the total number of points possible. The resulting percentage will be converted into a letter grade according to the following scale:

93 - 100% = A 78 - 79% = C+

90 - 92% = A- 73 - 77% = C

88 - 89% = B+ 70 - 72% = C-

83 - 87% = B 68 - 69% = D+

80 - 82% = B- 60 - 67% = D

59% & below = F

AN IMPORTANT NOTE ON ACADEMIC INTEGRITY:

Academic dishonesty tarnishes UMD's reputation and discredits the accomplishments of students. UMD is committed to providing students every possible opportunity to grow in mind and spirit. This pledge can only be redeemed in an environment of trust, honesty, and fairness. As a result, academic dishonesty is regarded as a serious offense by all members of the academic community. In keeping with this ideal, this course will adhere to UMD's Student Academic Integrity Policy, which can be found at: d.umn.edu/assl/conduct/integrity

Office Hours

I encourage you to drop by and talk with me if you are having difficulty or if you just want to discuss the class material (or say ‘hello’). If the times listed below are not convenient for you, see me after class and we will arrange an appointment at a mutually satisfactory time.

2:00 - 4:00 p.m., Mondays and Wednesdays

If you have any disability, either permanent or temporary, which might affect your ability to perform in this class, please inform me of your situation at the start of the semester. Adaptation of methods, materials, or testing may be made as required to provide for equitable participation.

NOTE ON CLASSROOM BEHAVIOR: The classroom is a place of mutual respect and tolerance.

I need your cooperation in creating this kind of atmosphere. During class, please do not read the newspaper or talk to your neighbor while the professor or a fellow classmate is talking; and if you must bring a cell phone to class, please turn it off. The University's Student Conduct Code can be found at:



Course Outline

This course outline indicates the key topics which will be dealt with, the reading assignments, and the dates of exams and due dates for assignments.

Week 1 Introduction to course

Week 2 The Naturalistic Paradigm

Sensitizing Concepts; Sampling Strategies

Esterberg, Chapters 1-2

Week 3 Ethics in Social Research

Esterberg, Chapter 3

Week 4 Ethnographic Field Strategies

Initial reactions to Duneier’s study; the “Third Place”

Esterberg, Chapter 4; Duneier, Chapters 1-7

Although the term observer suggests passivity, a participant-observer in the field

is at once reporter, interviewer, and scientist.

--Blanche Geer

Week 5 Discussion of Duneier’s book

Wednesday, October 3: Exam 1

Week 6 Interviewing; Focus Groups

Esterberg, Chapter 5

Wednesday, October 10: Mini-Assignment 1 Due

Week 7 Unobtrusive Measures in Research; Historiography and Oral Traditions

Action Research

Esterberg, Chapters 6 and 7

RESEARCH TOPIC SHOULD BE SELECTED AND APPROVED

Week 8 Content Analysis

Esterberg, Chapter 8; Reserve Article (“Justify My Ideology…”)

Week 9 Exploring Relevant Library Resources

Wednesday, October 31: Exam 2

Week 10 Data Interpretation (Chapter 8 in Esterberg continued)

Wednesday, November 7: Mini-Assignment 2 Due

Week 11 Autoethnography

Reserve Article (“Blue Ring…”)

Week 12 Feminist Qualitative Research

Narrative Analysis

Esterberg, Chapter 9

We cannot live other people’s lives, and it is a piece of bad faith to try. We can but listen to what, in words, in images, in actions they say about their lives....Whatever sense we have of how things stand with someone else’s inner life, we gain it through their expressions, not through some magical intrusion into their consciousness. It’s all a matter of scratching surfaces.

-- Clifford Geertz

Week 13 Revisiting Ethics (plus other important topics/issues)

Wednesday, November 28: Research Paper Due

Week 14 Student Presentations

Week 15 Student Presentations con’t. + Wrap up

Final Exam: Wednesday, Dec. 19 10:00 – 11:55 a.m.

The critical distinction is between reality (what is really out there, whatever that may be), experience (how that reality presents itself to consciousness), and expressions (how individual experience is framed and articulated). In a life history the distinction is between life as lived (reality), life as experienced (experience), and life as told (expression). Only a naive positivist would believe that expressions are equivalent to reality and we recognize in everyday life the gap between experience and its symbolic manifestation in expression.

-- Edward M. Bruner

Paper for Qualitative Research Methods

Due: Wednesday November 28

Fall 2007

J. Wilson

This paper assignment represents an opportunity for you to gain experience employing qualitative research methods on a topic that interests you. The most manageable projects will be somewhat small. Yet, if you have a big project in mind (or, in fact, already have one in progress which “fits” for this assignment), this paper might enable you to pursue such a project. At the end of the semester, you will give a presentation to the class. (The class presentation is mandatory). The paper is worth 100 points. The sections of the paper and their corresponding point values are described below:

Introduction: Present the topic and demonstrate its significance. State why you are interested in doing this research. Present your research questions. (10 pts.)

Literature Review: Discuss the extant research that has been done on this topic. Note the types of methodologies that other researchers have used in their research. (10 pts.)

Methods: Explain the method(s) you used to analyze the data. Why did you use those particular qualitative methods? How did you deal with issues of reliability and validity? What methodological problems did you encounter, and how did you deal with them? Address the ethical dimension to your research. How did you deal with issues of informant anonymity, confidentiality, etc.? Were you honest in the way you presented yourself? Did people know you were doing research? How did you obtain informed consent? (20 pts.)

Findings: Discuss the information that you uncovered during the research process. Relate your findings/results to your research questions. (20 pts.)

Discussion/Conclusions: Consider the significance of your findings. How might these findings impinge on relevant groups, communities, or agencies? (20 pts.)

Reflection/Self-Evaluation: What effects did personal factors, such as age, gender, socio-economic status, etc. have on your research? Were there special liabilities or advantages? How did you establish rapport? Reflect on your relationship to the research project itself. (20 pts.)

And, of course, you will include a bibliography (following whichever documentation style you prefer -- as long as it is consistent).

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