Critical Social Inquiry 0250 - Critical Ethnography

This course offers a critical introduction to ethnographic fieldwork, interviewing, and related methods. Special emphasis is given to the concept of reflexivity - the recognition that social scientists are participants in the worlds they study- and its epistemological and ethical implications for the practice of social research. We will balance learning about the methods of ethnographic inquiry with critical examination of the philosophical assumptions that inform them. We will pay particular attention to problems of interpretation and meaning, asking: how can we know and understand others lives in relation to our own? This integration of theory and practice will be achieved through reading, discussion, and most importantly students' own research projects. Prerequisite: Students should enroll with a viable ethnographic research proposal and ready to begin fieldwork by the third week.

Independent Work Multiple Cultural Perspectives Writing and Research Prerequisite: Students should enroll with a viable ethnographic research proposal and ready to begin fieldwork by the third week.