Anthropology 374                                           Dr. David Kideckel

Field Research Methods                               Diloreto 110 C,  TR 9:30-11:00, 2-3

Spring Semester, 2006                                   832-2611; Kideckel@ccsu.edu         

Course Organization

Purpose: This course concerns the practice of cultural anthropological field research, focusing first on the “spirit” of fieldwork and subsequently on specific methods associated with field research. Field research is first considered in its historical, philosophical, ethical, and personal dimensions. In considering specific field methods, we follow each essential step in the development of actual field research project.

Anthropology majors taking this class prior to registering for Senior Thesis, should use this class to begin to define a topic for the Senior Thesis and carry out some preliminary data collection on this topic via methods learned in this class. This also applies to anthropology majors concentrating in archaeology or biological anthropology. Though the methods we will discuss are most useful for cultural or applied anthropological research, they are also broadly relevant for biological or archaeological research as they relate to uncovering the nature of diverse social groups and communities.

Format: Classes will combine lectures and discussions of reading and of methods exercises. Class documents are available on WebCT via Campus Pipeline. You will be expected to use WebCT for e-mail contact between you, your classmates, and the instructor, and access to a variety of other resources and tools.

Reading: We have three required texts. There are also a number of readings available from on-line reserve with a hard copy at the main Anthropology Department office. These reserve readings are denoted by (R) in the Course Outline. You can access on-line reserves at the CCSU Library Home page > Search Consuls, Keyword:CourseProf.

All reading should be done in advance of our weekly class meeting. The texts are:

Bernard, H. Russell 2002  Research Methods in Anthropology: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches. Third Edition. NY: Altamira Press.(In weekly outline as HRB);

DeWalt, Kathleen and Billie DeWalt 2002 Participant-Observation: A Guide for Fieldworkers. NY: Altamira Press (In weekly outline as DD);

Rabinow, Paul 1977 Reflections on Fieldwork in Morocco. Berkeley: University of California Press. (In weekly outline as PR)

Requirements: Your grade will be based on a mid-term and final exam (25% each, 50% total), three short methods exercises (10% each, 30% total); and a final essay putting together your semester’s work in a coherent narrative(20%). I will also take attendance. You are allowed one unexcused absence. For each succeeding unexcused absence your grade will decrease by one grade level as from A- to B+. 
DATE, TOPICS, READING, OTHER ASSIGNMENTS:

I  1-24/6          Anthropological Ways of Knowing

                        HRB 1; PR Foreword-3

II  1-31/2-2      Field Research: History and Ethics

                        DD 1, 10, Appendix 4; 

III  2-7/9          The Importance of Theory

                        HRB 3, 4; DD 2

                        Research Design assignment handed out

IV  2-14/16      Research Design

                        HRB 5 (to pp. 84); DD 6

                        (R) S. Silverman, Writing Grant Proposals…

                        (R) D. Kideckel, Proposals to Wenner-Gren and NCEEER

V  2-21/23       Into the Field: Preliminary Methods, Early Issues

                        PR 4-6; DD 5; HRB, pp. 335-38

VI  2-28/3-2    Participant-Observation

                        DD 3-4; HRB 13

                        Research Design due 3-3 (10%)

VII  3-7/9        Field Surveys

                        HRB 6-7

                        Mapping, census, and survey assignment handed out

VIII  3-14/16   Film: Margaret Mead: Taking Note (Tu)

                        Mid-term exam, Th 3-16  (25%)

Week of 3-20 SPRING BREAK

IX  3-28/30      Keeping, Using, Preserving Field Notes

                        DD, Ch. 8-9, Appendix 1; HRB 14

X  4-4/6           Interviews, Informants, and Interview Strategies

                        HRB 9, 10; PR 7-Afterword

                        Mapping, census, survey assignment due 4-6 (10%)

Interview assignment handed out 

XI  4-11/13      Genealogies and Network Analysis

                        Sources TBD

                        In-class genealogical exercise 4-14

XII  4-18/20    Ranking and Sorting and The Extended Case Method      

                        HRB, 11; (R) A.L. Epstein, The Extended Case Method…;

XIII 4-25/27    Documentary Research, Text Analysis and Native Ethnography                          HRB, 17;  (R) D. Kideckel, Autoethnography as Political Resistance       

                        Interview Assignment due 4-27 (10%);

XIV 5-2/4        Field Research in a Globalized World

                        (R) G. Marcus, Ethnography in/of the World System…

                        (R) A. Appadurai, Global Ethnoscapes…                    

XV  5-9/11      Essay Presentations

                        No reading

                        Final Essays due 5-11 (20%)

Thursday, May 19, 11:00 a.m.- 1:00 p.m., Final Exam (25%)