Learning outcomes: The aim of this course is to familiarize the participant with different traditions in ethnographic research. The participant will understand what is specific in ethnographic approaches, and see ethnographic research as a process combining theoretical conceptions and empirical research. Moreover, the course gives tools to tackle questions such as:

•             how is the ethnographic field constituted;
•             how does the researcher get positioned in the field(s);
•             how to analyze data gathered during the research process;
•             how to report findings.

General description: Ethnographic approaches are increasingly popular in a variety of disciplines. In addition to anthropology, which has an established tradition of ethnographic research, field-based methods and participant observation are increasingly deployed also in other social sciences, in administration studies, political sciences and health sciences. Ethnographic approaches are particularly useful in studies that seek to analyze cultural processes and the embeddedness of human beings in such processes. While ethnographic approaches draw on various methods used in other approaches as well, such as participant observation and interviews, it is important to understand what actually is distinctive in ethnographic approaches.

This course focuses on ethnographic research as an approach in doing research rather than as a method in more technical sense. During the course, following questions are discussed: 

•             What kinds of research questions are fruitful when using ethnographic methodologies?
•             How is the research setting shaped by ethnographic approach? How to analyze observation data?
•             What is the relationship between description and analysis in ethnographic research?

These questions are addressed in lectures and in reading assignments; students taking the 5 ECTS module will also get individual feedback to their own ethnographic research designs.

There are two alternative modes for taking the course: A) 3 ECTS or B) 5 ECTS:

A) 3 ECTS: active participation in lectures (14.2. and 21.2.), assigned reading (two articles) and a written assignment (max. 3 pages; see Instructions for written assignments).

B) 5 ECTS: active participation in lectures (14.2. and 21.2.); assigned reading  (two articles); a written assignment  (4-5 pages; see Instructions for written assignments) that presents in a concise form the participant’s own ethnographic research; oral presentation in the workshop (13.–14.3.) and commenting other participants’ presentations in the workshop.

Teaching schedule: The course consists of four days, with the first two days covering different aspects of ethnographic research (for students taking modules A & B). The latter two days focus on students’ own projects in intensive workshop discussions (only for students taking module B).

Friday 14.2.2014, Room Ls A32 (Main building)

10.15-10.30 Welcome and introduction to the course
10.30-12.00 Participants’ short introductions of their own doctoral projects
12.00-13.00 Lunch
13.00-14.30 Laura Huttunen: Theoretical conceptions and thick description: Contours of ethnographic research processes
14.30-15 Discussion and further instructions

Friday 21.2.2014, Room Ls A4 (Main building)

10.15-11.15 Discussion on the assigned readings
11.15-12.15 Anitta Kynsilehto: Working ethnographically with multiple sites
12.15-13.15 Lunch
13.15-14.30 Mari Korpela: What should I do now? Analysing ethnographic data
14.30-15 Concluding discussion

Thursday 6.3.2014 Deadline for written assignments

Thursday 13.3.2014, Room Atalpa (208, 326)
Klo 10-15 Workshop

Friday 14.3.2014, Room Atalpa (208, 326)
Klo 10-15 Workshop

Assigned reading

Hannerz, Ulf (2003) Being there... and there... and there!:  Reflections on Multi-Site Ethnography.  Ethnography 4:2, 201-216.

Malkki, Liisa: Tradition and improvisation in ethnographic field research. In Allen Cerwonka & Liisa Malkki (2007) Improvising theory: Process and temporality in Ethnographic fieldwork. University of Chicago Press.

Enrolment

Max. 30 students will be accepted, of whom max. 16 may participate in the 5 ECTS module (to be enrolled in Nettiopsu). Students are selected in the order of enrolment. The student has to check the selection from NettiOpsu after the enrolment period.

Instructions for written assignments:

A)     For students taking the 3 ECTS module:

Write a max. 3 pages learning diary and tell what you learnt during the course. Address the following questions:

-          Did your understanding of ethnography change during the course? If yes, how? If not, specify.

-          What did you learn from the assigned readings (Malkki, Hannerz) ?

B)      For students taking the 5 ECTS module:

 Write a description of your own research project (a max. 5 pages) which contains the following items:

-          Research question(s)

-          What is your ethnographic field?

-          What are your main theoretical concepts?

-          Describe your (expected) data

-          How do you see the relationship between description and analysis in your work?

-          The phase of your research: what has been done, what will be done

-          Any other aspect you would specifically like to discuss in the workshop – a ‘problem’