AP/ANTH 3110 6.00 Acquiring Research Skills

The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the discipline, experience, and practice of anthropological research. The task of “doing anthropology” involves a broad range of considerations, such as: defining and selecting research problems, decisions concerning appropriate and/or feasible research strategies as well as moral and ethical issues. We will explore a variety of research tools and techniques used in anthropological fieldwork such as narrative and life history, photography and archival research, as well as the broader application of anthropological research methods to non-traditional research settings. We will also consider historical and contemporary critiques of anthropology’s methods, matters of ethical practice, and new directions in anthropological research and knowledge dissemination.

This course will provide students with a theoretical and practical toolbox for designing, conducting, and writing up ethnographic research projects. We will pay particular attention to research design, data collection, note taking and documentation, and finally, data analysis and writing ethnography. Students will have the opportunity to develop and carry out their own ethnographic research projects. Readings will illustrate the possibilities and limits of various methodologies and supplement theoretical discussions.

Course Director: A. Steinforth - asteinfo@yorku.ca