|
Chicago Field Studies Autumn 1998 Fridays 9:00-11:30 1810 Hinman Avenue Staff: Instructor Heather H. McClure hmcclure@merle.acns.nwu.edu Instructor Amanda I. Seligman seligman@merle.acns.nwu.edu Program Assistants Lucy Millman lucym@nwu.edu Helen Goldblatt 491-2706 Director Josef Barton texbart@merle.acns.nwu.edu 491-2706/7356 Course Goals The goal of this course is to examine the site of your internship from an ethnographic standpoint. Several different but interrelated assignments throughout the quarter will aid you in the task of thinking about your internship site as a distinctive culture. First, you will write daily fieldnotes about your experiences at your internship. Second, you will read articles and books by ethnographers experienced in interpreting a range of cultures. Third, you will hear about your classmates' experiences at their sites. Fourth, you will give a 20-minute presentation about your interpretation of your site. Fifth, you will write a 25-35 page research paper about the culture of your site, based on your fieldnotes, readings, seminar discussions, and feedback on your presentation. Generating the systematic data on which your paper will be based involves learning how to conduct ethnographic field research. Researchers use their experiences in their field sites to question "common sense" explanations of how and why things work as they do. They strive to develop theories about why things work as they do in particular places, and how those explanations connect with what other researchers say about other sites. This is called "critical stance." Being critical does not necessarily mean being negative; it means that you transcend understandings that take cultural patterns for granted. In the end, you will express your interpretation of the culture at your site with an analysis that explains both the site itself and its relationship to the larger social world. The paper you write at the end of the term will reflect how you have learned to interpret your site over the quarter. To help you write a strong paper, this course emphasizes writing good fieldnotes from the beginning of the term. Being at the same place often and over an extended period of time helps you to observe patterns and make connections that other methods of data collection do not. Your fieldnotes should record as much detail as possible about events, conversations, and your impressions and observations.
Readings Readings for this course come from three books and a course packet. The packet is available at Quartet Copies, 818 Clark Street. The books are for sale at Student Book Exchange (SBX), 1737 Sherman Avenue. In the course schedule, all readings marked with an asterisk (*) are in the course packet. In addition, the three assigned books are: Robert M. Emerson, Rachel I. Fretz, and Linda L. Shaw, Writing Ethnographic Fieldnotes Jay MacLeod, Ain't No Makin' It Studs Terkel, Working Requirements Due each Friday at the beginning of seminar (9 am) • Fieldnotes: a minimum of 4 pages for each day you are at your site • Response to email: 1-2 pages responding analytically to your instructor's comments about your previous week of fieldnotes (instructors will respond by 5 pm on Monday to the fieldnotes you turn in on Friday) • Assignments: For each week in which the syllabus describes a written assignment, you may omit one night of fieldnotes • Required and Recommended readings: Before class each week, think about the readings and how they help you to interpret work cultures in general and your site in particular. Once during the term • Lead a class discussion in conjunction with one or two other students in the course • Provide handouts for your classmates summarizing the readings for that week At the end of the quarter • 20 minute oral presentation about your site • Research paper between 25 and 35 pages long Evaluation Successful completion of the Chicago Field Studies Program merits four Northwestern University credits. Your grades will be assigned as follows: 1 grade for field site attendance and performance (assigned by supervisor) 1 grade for quality and timely completion of fieldnotes, email responses, and assignments 1 grade for attendance, participation, leading class discussion, and oral presentation 1 grade for research paper
Week 1 (September 25): Introduction to Ethnography Reading: Emerson, Fretz and Shaw, Writing Ethnographic Fieldnotes, chapters 1 and 2 After class: students meet individually with instructors Week 2 (October 2): Points of View Required reading: Terkel, Working (introduction plus any five interviews); *Conquergood; *Miner Recommended reading: Emerson, Fretz, and Shaw, chapter 3 Week 3 (October 9): Who Gets In Required reading: *Liebow; MacLeod, Ain't No Makin' It (chapters 1, 3, 7, and 11) Recommended reading: Emerson, Fretz, and Shaw, chapter 4 Assignment #1: Write a 3-4 page essay in the spirit of Miner's article about some aspect of your site. Week 4 (October 16): Who Gets Ahead Required reading: *Jackall; *Dizard; *Kirschenman and Neckerman; *Smith Recommended reading: Emerson, Fretz, and Shaw, chapter 5 Assignment #2: Write an essay placing yourself on a social map of your site. It is appropriate in this assignment to discuss your reasons for choosing this site, your expectations for your internship, and your career aspirations. Week 5 (October 23): Managing Gender Reading: *Sacks, *Kanter, *Sheppard Assignment #3: Write an essay identifying 3 topics of interest emerging in your fieldnotes. Week 6 (October 30): Hierarchy, Information, and Errors Reading: *Abbott, *Bosk, *Turow Assignment #4: Write a day of fieldnotes from the point of view of someone else in your site. You should select someone whom you see often enough during the day to reflect accurately what he or she says and does. Take care to write only about things that actually happened. After class: students meet individually with instructors Week 7 (November 6): Stages Reading: *Goffman, *Scott Assignment #5: Write a proposal for your research paper. NB: Your final set of fieldnotes is due this week. You do, of course, remain free to write more notes if interesting things happen at your site. Week 8 (November 13): Coding Reading: Emerson, Fretz, and Shaw, Writing Ethnographic Fieldnotes, chapter 6 Assignment #6: Write an essay making the argument that you anticipate for your final paper.
Week 9 (November 20): Looking Ahead Reading: Emerson Fretz and Shaw, Writing Ethnographic Fieldnotes, chapter 7 Assignment #7: Turn in codes, coded notes, and an index. During the afternoon, students meet individually with instructors. Start working on your rough draft right away. You will not have sufficient time to try writing something for every section if you start after you return from Thanksgiving vacation. November 27: Friday after Thanksgiving, no class Week 10: Preparing Papers Tuesday December 1: rough draft of term paper due at noon • Amanda's students: turn in to Seligman mailbox, History Department, 202 Harris Hall • Heather's students: turn in to McClure mailbox, Theatre Building Wednesday December 2: students meet individually with instructors Friday December 4, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.: oral presentations Exam Week Thursday December 10, 5 p.m. papers due • Amanda's students: turn in to Seligman mailbox, History Department, 202 Harris Hall • Heather's students: turn in to McClure mailbox, Theatre Building |