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ANTHR 442

Ethnographic Research Design and Methods

Winter 2022: Tues / Thurs 9:30am-10:45am

2004 JKB

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Instructor

 

Dr. Jacob R. Hickman

jhickman@byu.edu

773-892-5886

860 KMBL

Teaching Assistant

Clayton van Woerkom

vanwoerkom.clayton@gmail.com

(801) 608-6811

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The purpose of this course is to expose undergraduate students to different methods used to carry out social science research and to examine the aesthetics of good research design. Anthropology comprises one of the more interdisciplinary social sciences (though not without its own disciplinary biases, of course). Even beyond its four principal subfields -- archaeology, biological, linguistic, and cultural anthropology-- anthropologists engage social phenomena that are studied by researchers in all disciplines. Thus, the types of data and methods used by anthropologists span the gamut of possible methodologies. In this course, students will be introduced to the fundamentals of social science research by comparing the approaches of several different research philosophies while focusing on research design, data collection, the linking of theory and data, and the ethics of social science research.

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The course will begin with a philosophical and epistemological discussion of social science research: What is research? What do we consider legitimate forms of knowledge in the social sciences in general and anthropology in particular? How do we know what we know ? What counts as data? What disciplinary divisions exist with regards to stances on these questions? How do discipline-specific ontologies lead to different research philosophies? We will also question disciplinary commitments to particular forms of knowing, including historical trends within anthropology. The instructor will advocate a model in which research questions drive methodological approaches, and not vice versa. This initial discussion will be followed by introductions to various methodologies and research designs, both specific (e.g., field experiments or narrative analysis) and general (e.g., ethnographic fieldwork). Weekly readings will provide a mix of background and explanation of methods/designs as well as concrete examples. Students are expected to dig behind the ethnographic texts that we read in this class in order to understand the logic of the research design employed by the authors. In some cases this research design will be explicit, but more often implicit. Students in this course will learn to both construct and scrutinize the logic of research design and empirically-rooted theoretical argumentation.

 

As many of you are preparing to conduct fieldwork for your BA thesis, it is expected that you will use the readings, lectures, and discussion throughout this course to design your own research project. The principal assignment in this course is to write a comprehensive research proposal that outlines your specific methods and research design, as they relate to the group and theoretical issues that you will be undertaking in your project. Smaller assignments throughout the course will lead up to this final proposal.

Books to Purchase 

(other readings will be provided as PDFs)

 

Schulthies, Becky Lyn. 2021. Channeling Moroccanness: language and the media of sociality. New York: Fordham University Press. ISBN: 9780823289721

Eberhardt, Nancy. 2006. Imagining the course of life: self-transformation in a Shan Buddhist community. Honolulu: University of Hawaiʻi Press.

Books available digitally (through the library)

Cassaniti, Julia. 2015. Living Buddhism: mind, self, and emotion in a Thai community. Ithaca: Cornell University Press.

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Reading Schedule

The following reading schedule is subject to change.

University and Course Policies

 

Preventing & Responding to Sexual Misconduct

 

In accordance with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Brigham Young University prohibits unlawful sex discrimination against any participant in its education programs or activities. The university also prohibits sexual harassment-including sexual violence-committed by or against students, university employees, and visitors to campus. As outlined in university policy, sexual harassment, dating violence, domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking are considered forms of "Sexual Misconduct" prohibited by the university.

 

University policy requires all university employees in a teaching, managerial, or supervisory role to report all incidents of Sexual Misconduct that come to their attention in any way, including but not limited to face-to-face conversations, a written class assignment or paper, class discussion, email, text, or social media post. Incidents of Sexual Misconduct should be reported to the Title IX Coordinator at t9coordinator@byu.edu or (801) 422-8692. Reports may also be submitted through EthicsPoint at https://titleix.byu.edu/report or 1-888-238-1062 (24-hours a day).

 

BYU offers confidential resources for those affected by Sexual Misconduct, including the university's Victim Advocate, as well as a number of non-confidential resources and services that may be helpful. Additional information about Title IX, the university's Sexual Misconduct Policy, reporting requirements, and resources can be found at http://titleix.byu.edu or by contacting the university's Title IX Coordinator.

 

Student Disability

 

Brigham Young University is committed to providing a working and learning atmosphere that reasonably accommodates qualified persons with disabilities. A disability is a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities. Whether an impairment is substantially limiting depends on its nature and severity, its duration or expected duration, and its permanent or expected permanent or long-term impact. Examples include vision or hearing impairments, physical disabilities, chronic illnesses, emotional disorders (e.g., depression, anxiety), learning disorders, and attention disorders (e.g., ADHD). If you have a disability which impairs your ability to complete this course successfully, please contact the University Accessibility Center (UAC), 2170 WSC or 801-422-2767 to request a reasonable accommodation. The UAC can also assess students for learning, attention, and emotional concerns. If you feel you have been unlawfully discriminated against on the basis of disability, please contact the Equal Employment Office at 801-422-5895, D-285 ASB for help.”

 

Honor Code

 

In keeping with the principles of the BYU Honor Code, students are expected to be honest in all of their academic work. Academic honesty means, most fundamentally, that any work you present as your own must in fact be your own work and not that of another. Violations of this principle may result in a failing grade in the course and additional disciplinary action by the university. Students are also expected to adhere to the Dress and Grooming Standards. Adherence demonstrates respect for yourself and others and ensures an effective learning and working environment. It is the university's expectation, and every instructor's expectation in class, that each student will abide by all Honor Code standards. Please call the Honor Code Office at 422-2847 if you have questions about those standards.

 

COVID 19 Statement

 

While COVID 19 conditions persist and until further notice, students and faculty are required to wear face coverings at all times during class; faculty are not at liberty to waive this expectation. Students who feel sick, including exhibiting symptoms commonly associated with COVID 19 (fever; cough; shortness of breath/difficulty breathing; chills; muscle pain; sore throat; new loss of taste or smell; etc.) should not attend class and should work with their instructor to develop a study plan for the duration of the illness.

 

Respectful Environment

 

"Sadly, from time to time, we do hear reports of those who are at best insensitive and at worst insulting in their comments to and about others... We hear derogatory and sometimes even defamatory comments about those with different political, athletic, or ethnic views or experiences. Such behavior is completely out of place at BYU, and I enlist the aid of all to monitor carefully and, if necessary, correct any such that might occur here, however inadvertent or unintentional. "I worry particularly about demeaning comments made about the career or major choices of women or men either directly or about members of the BYU community generally. We must remember that personal agency is a fundamental principle and that none of us has the right or option to criticize the lawful choices of another." President Cecil O. Samuelson, Annual University Conference, August 24, 2010 "Occasionally, we ... hear reports that our female faculty feel disrespected, especially by students, for choosing to work at BYU, even though each one has been approved by the BYU Board of Trustees. Brothers and sisters, these things ought not to be. Not here. Not at a university that shares a constitution with the School of the Prophets." Vice President John S. Tanner, Annual University Conference, August 24, 2010

 

Mental Health

 

Mental health concerns and stressful life events can affect students’ academic performance and quality of life. BYU Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS, 1500 WSC, 801-422-3035, caps.byu.edu) provides individual, couples, and group counseling, as well as stress management services. These services are confidential and are provided by the university at no cost for full-time students. For general information please visit https://caps.byu.edu; for more immediate concerns please visit http://help.byu.edu.

 

Academic Honesty

 

The first injunction of the Honor Code is the call to "be honest." Students come to the university not only to improve their minds, gain knowledge, and develop skills that will assist them in their life's work, but also to build character. "President David O. McKay taught that character is the highest aim of education" (The Aims of a BYU Education, p.6). It is the purpose of the BYU Academic Honesty Policy to assist in fulfilling that aim. BYU students should seek to be totally honest in their dealings with others. They should complete their own work and be evaluated based upon that work. They should avoid academic dishonesty and misconduct in all its forms, including but not limited to plagiarism, fabrication or falsification, cheating, and other academic misconduct.

 

Inappropriate Use of Course Materials

 

All course materials (e.g., outlines, handouts, syllabi, exams, quizzes, PowerPoint presentations, lectures, audio and video recordings, etc.) are proprietary. Students are prohibited from posting or selling any such course materials without the express written permission of the professor teaching this course. To do so is a violation of the Brigham Young University Honor Code.

 

 

Plagiarism

 

Intentional plagiarism is a form of intellectual theft that violates widely recognized principles of academic integrity as well as the Honor Code. Such plagiarism may subject the student to appropriate disciplinary action administered through the university Honor Code Office, in addition to academic sanctions that may be applied by an instructor. Inadvertent plagiarism, which may not be a violation of the Honor Code, is nevertheless a form of intellectual carelessness that is unacceptable in the academic community. Plagiarism of any kind is completely contrary to the established practices of higher education where all members of the university are expected to acknowledge the original intellectual work of others that is included in their own work. In some cases, plagiarism may also involve violations of copyright law. Intentional Plagiarism-Intentional plagiarism is the deliberate act of representing the words, ideas, or data of another as one's own without providing proper attribution to the author through quotation, reference, or footnote. Inadvertent Plagiarism-Inadvertent plagiarism involves the inappropriate, but non-deliberate, use of another's words, ideas, or data without proper attribution. Inadvertent plagiarism usually results from an ignorant failure to follow established rules for documenting sources or from simply not being sufficiently careful in research and writing. Although not a violation of the Honor Code, inadvertent plagiarism is a form of academic misconduct for which an instructor can impose appropriate academic sanctions. Students who are in doubt as to whether they are providing proper attribution have the responsibility to consult with their instructor and obtain guidance. Examples of plagiarism include: Direct Plagiarism-The verbatim copying of an original source without acknowledging the source. Paraphrased Plagiarism-The paraphrasing, without acknowledgement, of ideas from another that the reader might mistake for the author's own. Plagiarism Mosaic-The borrowing of words, ideas, or data from an original source and blending this original material with one's own without acknowledging the source. Insufficient Acknowledgement-The partial or incomplete attribution of words, ideas, or data from an original source. Plagiarism may occur with respect to unpublished as well as published material. Copying another student's work and submitting it as one's own individual work without proper attribution is a serious form of plagiarism.

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