Political Science 358 - Political Ethnography

Ethnography is an immersive, interpretive research methodology that is ideally suited for studying culture and power. This course introduces students to works of political ethnography such as Evicted by Matthew Desmond, Every Twelve Seconds by Timothy Pachirat, and Strangers in Their Own Land by Arlie Hochschild. Students will learn techniques such as participant observation and ordinary language interviewing. We will also consider the principle of positionality and the ethics of ethnographic research. In the second half of the semester, students will conduct and present their own ethnographic research.

Requisite: At least one POSC course 200 or above. Limited to 20 students. Not open to first-year students. Spring semester. Visiting Professor Wise.