Course Meeting Times
Lectures: 1 session / week, 3 hours / session
Course Overview
This course focuses on a number of qualitative social science methods that can be productively used in media studies research including interviewing, participant observation, focus groups, cultural probes, visual sociology, and ethnography. The emphasis will primarily be on understanding and learning concrete techniques that can be evaluated for their usefulness in any given project and utilized as needed. Data organization and analysis will be addressed. Several advanced critical thematics will also be covered, including ethics, reciprocity, “studying up,” and risk. The course will be taught via a combination of lectures, class discussions, group exercises, and assignments. This course requires a willingness to work hands-on with learning various social science methods and a commitment to the preparation for such (including reading, discussion, and reflection).
Prerequisites
Grading
| ACTIVITIES | PERCENTAGES |
|---|---|
| Participation (includes leading an advanced topic discussion once) | 10% |
| Ethics assignment | 10% |
| Technique write-up 1 | 20% |
| Technique write-up 2 | 20% |
| Final paper | 40% |
Calendar
| SES # | TOPICS | KEY DATES |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Introduction, Ethics, and Institutional Review Boards | |
| 2 | Framing Social Science Research | Ethics Assignment due |
| 3 |
Participant Observation Advanced Topic: Risk & Crime |
|
| 4 | The Monograph I | |
| 5 |
Interviews Advanced Topic: Gender, Sexuality, and Intersectionality |
Visit by Nancy Baym |
| 6 |
Technology Advanced Topic: Ontology & Agency |
Technique Write-up 1 due |
| 7 | Visual Materials | |
| 8 | Cultural Probes and Artifacts | |
| 9 |
Usability Advanced Topic: Studying up |
|
| 10 |
Analysis Advanced Topic: Reciprocity |
Technique Write-up 2 due |
| 11 |
Creating Persuasive Arguments Advanced Topic: Generalization |
|
| 12 | The Monograph II | Final Paper due two days after Session 12 |
