Ethnographic fieldwork

Course goals

•  Being able to carry out empirical field research according to anthropological methods, with a particular emphasis on qualitative empirical methods..
• Applying anthropological theories to international discussions in the discipline to concrete empirical research questions.
• Skilfully employing qualitative empirical methods to generate data necessary to examine and answer the hypothesis or research questions.

Content

Ethnographic field research is a key component of the CASTOR research master program. The research project will allow students to train and enhance their empirical research capabilities by applying anthropological field research methods and techniques. The research project will be based on a detailed research proposal written in course CASTOR-5 Ethnographic Fieldwork and Research Design. Students demonstrate through five months of ethnographic fieldwork their competence in the application of relevant scientific theories and concepts, their knowledge of the research area and cultural context, and their application of anthropological insights and methodological skills to a research topic.
Students will be in principle free to choose their subject, approach and location of research, as long as they fall within the general scope of CASTOR. The methodological approach needs to be transparent, and focused on participant observation as the central method of anthropology. Permission to start the research project will depend on approval of the research proposal, and on a positive assessment by the supervisor and program director about its feasibility and safety in the chosen country or location.

Schedule:
August-December.

Ethnographic fieldwork:
Utrecht University has an official course commitment policy. This policy implies in this course the handing in on time of progress reports and the final report. Overtime submissions will be evaluated by the fieldwork supervisor and the coordinator on a case-to-case basis.