Critical Social Inquiry 0204 - Ways of Knowing in Csi

This course is designed for students transitioning into Division II to introduce them to the School of Critical Social Inquiry: the kinds of questions we ask, methodologies we use, and writing we produce. Each week CSI faculty will share a recent research project, taking students "behind the scenes" to examine the methodological dilemmas and choices that drove their research and forms of knowledge they produced. Students will learn to read and think critically about the epistemological assumptions behind method, what it means to take an interpretive approach to social research, and the ethics of community-engaged scholarship. We will ask why some methods are privileged as more valid ways of knowing? And when do methodological conventions work for/against other goals such as community empowerment? Each student will develop a research proposal, as they learn how to be more intentional, reflexive, and creative in their own research and writing choices.

Independent Work Multiple Cultural Perspectives Writing and Research Students are expected to spend at least six to eight hours a week of preparation and work outside of class time.