Qualitative Research Methods Sociology 584 Syllabus Spring 2013

Transcription

1 Qualitative Research Methods Sociology 584 Syllabus Spring 2013 Contact Information Instructor Ronald L. Mize, Ph.D. Visiting Professor Department of Sociology Office: BSS 530 Office, Phone & Office Hours: Tues, Thurs 12:30-1:30 Or by appointment Class Meeting: Wednesday, 4:00-7:50pm, HGH 204 Course Description: (4). Theoretical and practical elements of the interview; focus group; fieldwork and community action research. Develop and initiate original research project. Computer techniques for data management and analysis. [Prereq: SOC 382 or Equivalent] Qualitative research methods have been integral to the development of the discipline of sociology. The close interplay between theory and methods have ensured that courses designed to introduce ethnographic, participant observation, unobtrusive measures, historical research methods, content and textual analysis, participatory action research (PAR), case and community studies, and visual sociology center curricular methodological materials on theory building, testing, and critical interrogation. More than developing a methodological skill set, this seminar is designed to develop increasing social theoretical sophistication in conversation with the appropriate qualitative research methods and analytical tools. Sociology is a critically engaged discipline that builds its foundation with theoretically-engaged concepts and systematic methods of inquiry. You will critically situate your own research interests from this standpoint. Course Requirements: Students will be expected to complete seven methods exercises, keep a field journal, regularly attend and contribute to seminar, and turn in a final research paper. This seminar is designed for students in their first year, second-semester sociology master s sequence so the content of the exercises and final research paper are developed in such a way that you can tailor the seminar assignments to your emerging research interests The final paper is designed to be summative and you will be responsible for integrating the central ideas of the course into a coherent and logical analysis of a particular sociological theory and demonstrate how the tools of qualitative inquiry can help to answer pressing sociological questions. Grading Procedure: The course grade will be mostly dependent upon your cumulative grade on the seven methods exercises, attendance/participation, and a final research paper. The field journal will be turned in but not graded. It is expected that students will attend class consistently and those who actively participate in class discussion and demonstrate that they are adequately prepared for each week will be rewarded. Students must earn a course grade higher than B- to remain in the sociology master s program. Estimated Outside Class Time Students hoping to earn an A in this class can anticipate spending an average of hours each week on outside class activities: reading, writing and editing, further researching and thinking about material in preparation for our 3 ½ -hour class meetings. I encourage you to 1

2 schedule and use this preparation time starting in the first week so that you can make the most of this seminar. Assignments and Relative Weights: Assignment Percent IRB Protocols 10% Interview/Focus 10% Group Transcripts Unobtrusive 10% Measure Team Historical Methods/ 10% Case Study Visual Sociology 10% Content Analysis 10% ATLAS.ti Self- 10% Instruction Field Journal NG Final Research 20% Project Proposal (Pre-Thesis Methods Chapter) Class Attendance 10% And Participation Total 100% Academic Honesty: Cheating or plagiarism (presenting the words or ideas of others as your own) will result in failure of the assignment, possible failure of the course, and notification of the offense to the University. I strongly encourage you to familiarize yourself with University policy on academic misconduct in the case of plagiarism or cheating, and the penalties for such actions. Please consult the Student Academic Honesty Policy: Campus Resources: Disability Statement If you have a documented disability and would like to discuss academic accommodations, please contact me as soon as possible. Our campus Student Disability Resource Center (SDRC) can assist you with the accommodation process and can be reached at , (TDD). The SDRC is located in House 71 (Little Apartments) off Library Circle. Persons who wish to request disability-related accommodations should contact the Student Disability Resource Center in House 71, (voice) or (TDD). Some accommodations may take up to several weeks to arrange. Student Disability Resource Center Add/Drop Policy: Students are responsible for knowing the University policy, procedures, and schedule for dropping or adding classes. Schedule Adjustments (Adding or Dropping) Emergency evacuation: Please review the evacuation plan for the classroom (posted on the orange signs), and review Campus Emergency Preparedness: 2

3 for information on campus Emergency Procedures. During an emergency, information can be found campus conditions at: 826-INFO or Emergency Conditions Attendance and disruptive behavior: Students are responsible for knowing policy regarding attendance and disruptive behavior. Learning Outcomes: After completing this seminar, you should be able to demonstrate the following course learning outcomes, as well as progress toward final department and university-related learning outcomes. Course Learning Outcomes 1. Describe, compare, and criticize approaches to qualitative research design. 2. Discuss issues related to social location and identity (including race, class & gender) as they relate to research design, data collection, analysis and the content and form for presentation of research findings. 3. Discuss issues of subjectivity, reflexivity, and power in the research process. 4. Design and carry out a research project involving interviews or focus groups, unobtrusive measures, visual analysis, historical research, and ethnography or participant observation. 5. Set up a qualitative project in ATLAS.ti and carry out foundation level analysis. 6. Be familiar with forms of presenting qualitative research and their politics and power. 7. Begin writing original manuscripts based on qualitative data. Related MA in Sociology Program Learning Outcomes 1. A solid foundation in sociological methods and related methodological theory. 2. Professional socialization, including an understanding of ethical issues. Related HSU Learning Outcomes 1. Effective communication through written and oral modes. 2. Critical creative thinking skills in acquiring a broad base of knowledge and applying it to complex issues. 3. Competence in a major area of study. 4. Appreciation for and understanding of an expanded world perspective by engaging respectfully with a diverse range of individuals, communities, and viewpoints. Required Readings: Berg, Bruce L. and Howard Lune Qualitative Research Methods for the Social Sciences, 8 th Edition. Boston: Pearson. Foley, Douglas Learning Capitalist Culture: Deep in the Heart of Tejas, 2 nd Edition. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press. Harper, Douglas Visual Sociology. NY: Routledge Press. 3

4 CLASS SCHEDULE SOC 584 I have structured this graduate methods seminar in a very hands-on fashion. There are a large number of exercises, assignments, and protocols to be performed over the course of the semester. More thought provoking readings may be added to enrich class discussion but the focus of the seminar is on how sociologists use qualitative methods to answer or interrogate theoretical questions or dilemmas. Significant course time will be devoted to preparation and debriefing sessions. The purpose is to maintain a balance between learning the nuts and bolts of conducting and analyzing qualitative research while developing theoretical insights along the ladder of abstraction that allow us to know ourselves better as researchers and how that impacts the interfaces with our research communities. WEEK ONE (1/23): Introduction to Qualitative Research Methods in Sociology WEEK TWO (1/30): Philosophy of Science, Research Design, and Sociology Methodology Reading: Berg Chs. 1-2 WEEK THREE (2/6): Ethics of Research (IRB, Human Subjects, Informed Consent, and Politics of Research) In-Class Video Airing of Sidewalk, by Mitchell Dunier Reading: Berg and Lune Ch. 3 WEEK FOUR (2/13): Participatory Action Research Reading: Berg and Lune Ch. 7 IRB PROTOCOLS DUE ON Wednesday, 2/13. HSU IRB info can be located at: WEEK FIVE (2/20): Interviewing and Focus Groups Reading: Berg and Lune Chs. 4-5 & Eliasoph, Nina Political Culture and the Presentation of a Political Self: A Study of the Public Sphere in the Spirit of Erving Goffman, Theory and Society. 19(1): WEEK SIX (2/27): Unobtrusive Measures Reading: Berg and Lune Ch. 8 & Clack, Beverley, John Dixon, and Colin Tredoux Eating Together Apart: Patterns of Segregation in a Multi-ethnic Cafeteria, Journal of Community & Applied Social Psychology. 15: INTERVIEW/FOCUS GROUP TRANSCRIPTS DUE on Wednesday, 2/27. WEEK SEVEN (3/6): Comparative-Historical Research Methods Reading: Berg and Lune Ch. 9 & Bertaux, Daniel and Isabelle Bertaux-Wiame Heritage and its Lineage: A Case History of Transmission and Social Mobility over Five Generations, pp in Daniel Bertaux and Paul Thompson eds. Pathways to Social Class: A Qualitative Approach to Social Mobility. New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Publishers. & Einwohner, Rachel L Ethical Considerations on the Use of Archived Testimonies in Holocaust Research: Beyond the IRB Exemption, Qualitative Sociology. 34: WEEK EIGHT (3/13): Case Studies and Introduction to Ethnography Reading: Berg and Lune Ch 10 and 6 & Caccamo, Rita Back to Middletown: Three Generations of Sociological Reflections, pp. ix-xxiii, , Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press. & Viditch, Arthur J. and Joseph Bensman Small Town in Mass Society: Class, Power, and Religion in a Rural Community, pp Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. UNOBTRUSIVE MEASURES TEAM EXERCISE DUE on Wednesday, 3/13. 4

5 SPRING BREAK (3/18-3/22): NO CLASSES WEEK NINE (3/27): Doing Ethnography Reading: Foley, Chs. 1-5 HISTORICAL METHODS/ CASE STUDY EXERCISE DUE on Wednesday, 3/27 WEEK TEN (4/3): Writing and Conceptualizing Ethnography Reading: Foley, Chs. 6-7 and Foley (1 st edition) Forward, Intro, Appendix A & B WEEK ELEVEN (4/10): Visual Sociology Reading: Harper, Chs. Intro 5, Appendix I WEEK TWELVE (4/17): Visual Analysis Reading: Harper, Chs. 6-9, 11, Appendix II WEEK THIRTEEN (4/24): Content and Textual Analysis Reading: Berg and Lune, Ch. 11 & DuGay, Paul Introduction, pp. 1-5 in DuGay et al. eds. Doing Cultural Studies: The Story of the Sony Walkman. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. & Hall, Stuart Encoding, Decoding, pp in Simon During ed. The Cultural Studies Reader, Second Edition. NY: Routledge Press. & Phillipov, Michelle In Defense of Textual Analysis: Resisting Methodological Hegemony in Media and Cultural Studies, Critical Studies in Media Communication VISUAL SOCIOLOGY EXERCISE DUE on Wednesday 4/24 WEEK FOURTEEN (5/1): Qualitative Data Management Software, Computer Aided Analysis Reading: ATLAS.ti tutorials at & Chavez, Leo The Latino Threat Narrative, pp in The Latino Threat: Constructing Immigrants, Citizens, and the Nation. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press. CONTENT ANALYSIS EXERCISE DUE on Wednesday 5/1 WEEK FIFTEEN (5/8): Research Project Reading: Berg and Lune, Ch. 12 & Smith, Linda Tuhiwai Articulating an Indigenous Research Agenda, pp in Decolonizing Methodologies: Research and Indigenous Peoples. NY: Zed Books. ATLAS.ti SELF-INSTRUCTION EXERCISE DUE on Wednesday May 8 FINALS WEEK (5/13-5/17): Final Examination Period (Wednesday, May 15). Final Research Paper and Field Journal Due Finals Week on assigned time (3:00-4:50 pm). 5