Sociology 316EE - Special Topics in Sociology: 'Ethnographic Engagement and Practice'

This course situates ethnography as an engaged practice, and asks, how can scholars turn community engagement into formal research? With an emphasis on observation and community-based learning, this course requires time spent off campus in a domain of community-recognized need. Using a grounded theoretical perspective cultivated across the semester, students will build an actualizable research proposal as a final course product. Students will develop sociological observation skills, learn to structure and differentiate in-depth interviews for targeted audiences, and integrate community-driven insights into professional writing. At the same time, students will gain deeper insight into the meanings of need held in the local community, the likes of which are vital to creating participant-centered research and social change.

Prereq: 8 credits in sociology.