Students

ANTH324 – Doing Ethnography

2015 – S2 Day

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff
Deborah Van Heekeren
Monica Dalidowicz
Credit points Credit points
3
Prerequisites Prerequisites
(39cp including (9cp from ANTH units including 3cp from ANTH units at 300 level)) or admission to GDipArts
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description
This unit provides an introduction to fieldwork in cultural anthropology. As the primary goal of the unit is to teach students how to do ethnographic fieldwork, over the semester students engage in first-hand research where they regularly participate in and observe a cultural scene of their own choosing. Weekly meetings frame the fieldwork process as students learn anthropological methodology under the guidance of an experienced staff member, and then apply this knowledge to their ethnographic study. These meetings also provide the opportunity for students to share their fieldwork experiences with each other, and discuss the methodological issues and concerns raised by their own studies. Simultaneously students will read several classic ethnographies to develop an understanding of the relationship between ethnographic research and ethnographic writing. The program culminates in a report (or mini ethnography) due at the close of the semester.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • • Students who participate fully in this unit will understand the use of a variety of ethnographic research methods, including their strengths and the sorts of projects for which they might be most useful.
  • • Students who participate fully in this unit will complete an ethnographic research project;
  • • Prepare a sample research proposal for a feasible participant-observation ethnographic study.
  • • Students will improve their critical skills by learning how research data is produced and how choices made by researchers affect the outcome.

General Assessment Information

1. Ethics quiz

Compulsory

 

Due: Week 3

Students will take the online ethics module for social science research developed by Wynn, Mason, and Everett (http://www.mq.edu.au/ethics_training/) and the online quiz at the end of the module. 

Details: The online ethics module should be done as homework in the second week of the class.  Upon completion of the quiz, print the certificate of completion and bring to class to turn it in.  The module takes about 3-4 hours to complete.  Warning: start the quiz well in advance because if you fail any section of the quiz, it will not allow you to proceed to the next section of the quiz until 24 hours have passed, so it’s not a good thing to do at the last minute.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Due
Participation and discussion 20% weekly
Research Proposal 20% Week 7
Ethnographic Research Journal 20% Week 9
Ethnographic Research Paper 40% Week 13
Ethics Quiz 0% week 3

Participation and discussion

Due: weekly
Weighting: 20%

Each student should fully participate in class discussions and will take turns leading discussions of the week’s readings. There is also a final presentation of your research in Weeks 12 and 13.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • • Students who participate fully in this unit will understand the use of a variety of ethnographic research methods, including their strengths and the sorts of projects for which they might be most useful.
  • • Prepare a sample research proposal for a feasible participant-observation ethnographic study.
  • • Students will improve their critical skills by learning how research data is produced and how choices made by researchers affect the outcome.

Research Proposal

Due: Week 7
Weighting: 20%

Brief Description: Research proposals will be original project designs for ethnographic research projects.  Your research proposal should be a formal description of the ongoing project of ethnographic description that you are engaged in for this class. 

Details: The ~1000-word proposal should include the following sections:

  • Proposal title: provide a short descriptive title of no more than 20 words.

  • Abstract: This should be a short summary of the project, maximum 100 words.

  • Background: Discusses the academic literature to set up the research question.What other researchers have tackled this issue?What have they said about the topic?What are the points of difference between theorists? How is your project similar to, or different from, those of other researchers?

  • Aims: What will this research concretely demonstrate or accomplish?

  • Methods: This should include a detailed discussions of research methods, rationales for choice of methods, background readings on the research questions as they are relevant to methodology, and a plan for completion.

  • Significance: What is the significance of this project?What new insight will it shed on the research question?

     


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • • Students who participate fully in this unit will understand the use of a variety of ethnographic research methods, including their strengths and the sorts of projects for which they might be most useful.
  • • Students who participate fully in this unit will complete an ethnographic research project;
  • • Prepare a sample research proposal for a feasible participant-observation ethnographic study.

Ethnographic Research Journal

Due: Week 9
Weighting: 20%

Brief description: From the third week of class (after you have completed the online ethics module and taken the quiz), you will be asked to keep a research journal that documents your research project in a series of dated fieldnotes.

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • • Students who participate fully in this unit will understand the use of a variety of ethnographic research methods, including their strengths and the sorts of projects for which they might be most useful.
  • • Students who participate fully in this unit will complete an ethnographic research project;

Ethnographic Research Paper

Due: Week 13
Weighting: 40%

Brief Description: You will write a short ethnography (2,700-3,000 words).

You must also include an appendix (up to 500 words) detailing how you ensured ethical research practice.  This appendix should outline the steps you took to ensure (a) informed consent, (b) informant privacy and confidentiality, and (c) secure data collection and storage.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • • Students who participate fully in this unit will understand the use of a variety of ethnographic research methods, including their strengths and the sorts of projects for which they might be most useful.
  • • Students who participate fully in this unit will complete an ethnographic research project;

Ethics Quiz

Due: week 3
Weighting: 0%

The online ethics module should be done as homework in the second week of the class.  Upon completion of the quiz, print the certificate of completion and bring to class to turn it in.  The module takes about 3-4 hours to complete.  Warning: start the quiz well in advance because if you fail any section of the quiz, it will not allow you to proceed to the next section of the quiz until 24 hours have passed, so it’s not a good thing to do at the last minute.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • • Students who participate fully in this unit will understand the use of a variety of ethnographic research methods, including their strengths and the sorts of projects for which they might be most useful.
  • • Students who participate fully in this unit will complete an ethnographic research project;
  • • Prepare a sample research proposal for a feasible participant-observation ethnographic study.

Delivery and Resources

iLearn will be used to support this Unit.

NB. but echo will not be used. If students miss a session it is their responsibility -- not the convenor’s -- to ensure that they are up to date.

**Weekly attendance is compulsory**

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central. Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Academic Honesty Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/academic_honesty/policy.html

Assessment Policy  http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/assessment/policy.html

Grading Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/grading/policy.html

Grade Appeal Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/gradeappeal/policy.html

Grievance Management Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/grievance_management/policy.html

Disruption to Studies Policy http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/disruption_studies/policy.html The Disruption to Studies Policy is effective from March 3 2014 and replaces the Special Consideration Policy.

In addition, a number of other policies can be found in the Learning and Teaching Category of Policy Central.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/support/student_conduct/

Results

Results shown in iLearn, or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Learning Skills

Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.

Student Services and Support

Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.

Student Enquiries

For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://informatics.mq.edu.au/help/

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Graduate Capabilities

Creative and Innovative

Our graduates will also be capable of creative thinking and of creating knowledge. They will be imaginative and open to experience and capable of innovation at work and in the community. We want them to be engaged in applying their critical, creative thinking.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcome

  • • Prepare a sample research proposal for a feasible participant-observation ethnographic study.

Assessment tasks

  • Participation and discussion
  • Research Proposal
  • Ethics Quiz

Discipline Specific Knowledge and Skills

Our graduates will take with them the intellectual development, depth and breadth of knowledge, scholarly understanding, and specific subject content in their chosen fields to make them competent and confident in their subject or profession. They will be able to demonstrate, where relevant, professional technical competence and meet professional standards. They will be able to articulate the structure of knowledge of their discipline, be able to adapt discipline-specific knowledge to novel situations, and be able to contribute from their discipline to inter-disciplinary solutions to problems.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • • Students who participate fully in this unit will understand the use of a variety of ethnographic research methods, including their strengths and the sorts of projects for which they might be most useful.
  • • Students who participate fully in this unit will complete an ethnographic research project;
  • • Prepare a sample research proposal for a feasible participant-observation ethnographic study.
  • • Students will improve their critical skills by learning how research data is produced and how choices made by researchers affect the outcome.

Assessment tasks

  • Participation and discussion
  • Research Proposal
  • Ethnographic Research Journal
  • Ethnographic Research Paper
  • Ethics Quiz

Critical, Analytical and Integrative Thinking

We want our graduates to be capable of reasoning, questioning and analysing, and to integrate and synthesise learning and knowledge from a range of sources and environments; to be able to critique constraints, assumptions and limitations; to be able to think independently and systemically in relation to scholarly activity, in the workplace, and in the world. We want them to have a level of scientific and information technology literacy.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • • Students who participate fully in this unit will understand the use of a variety of ethnographic research methods, including their strengths and the sorts of projects for which they might be most useful.
  • • Students who participate fully in this unit will complete an ethnographic research project;
  • • Students will improve their critical skills by learning how research data is produced and how choices made by researchers affect the outcome.

Assessment tasks

  • Participation and discussion
  • Research Proposal
  • Ethnographic Research Journal
  • Ethnographic Research Paper
  • Ethics Quiz

Problem Solving and Research Capability

Our graduates should be capable of researching; of analysing, and interpreting and assessing data and information in various forms; of drawing connections across fields of knowledge; and they should be able to relate their knowledge to complex situations at work or in the world, in order to diagnose and solve problems. We want them to have the confidence to take the initiative in doing so, within an awareness of their own limitations.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • • Students who participate fully in this unit will complete an ethnographic research project;
  • • Students will improve their critical skills by learning how research data is produced and how choices made by researchers affect the outcome.

Assessment tasks

  • Participation and discussion
  • Research Proposal
  • Ethnographic Research Journal
  • Ethnographic Research Paper
  • Ethics Quiz

Effective Communication

We want to develop in our students the ability to communicate and convey their views in forms effective with different audiences. We want our graduates to take with them the capability to read, listen, question, gather and evaluate information resources in a variety of formats, assess, write clearly, speak effectively, and to use visual communication and communication technologies as appropriate.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcome

  • • Students who participate fully in this unit will understand the use of a variety of ethnographic research methods, including their strengths and the sorts of projects for which they might be most useful.

Assessment tasks

  • Participation and discussion
  • Research Proposal
  • Ethnographic Research Journal
  • Ethnographic Research Paper
  • Ethics Quiz

Engaged and Ethical Local and Global citizens

As local citizens our graduates will be aware of indigenous perspectives and of the nation's historical context. They will be engaged with the challenges of contemporary society and with knowledge and ideas. We want our graduates to have respect for diversity, to be open-minded, sensitive to others and inclusive, and to be open to other cultures and perspectives: they should have a level of cultural literacy. Our graduates should be aware of disadvantage and social justice, and be willing to participate to help create a wiser and better society.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcome

  • • Students who participate fully in this unit will understand the use of a variety of ethnographic research methods, including their strengths and the sorts of projects for which they might be most useful.

Assessment tasks

  • Participation and discussion
  • Research Proposal
  • Ethnographic Research Journal
  • Ethnographic Research Paper
  • Ethics Quiz