Durham University
Programme and Module Handbook

Postgraduate Programme and Module Handbook 2007-2008 (archived)

Module ANTH54730: Fieldwork and Interpretation

Department: Anthropology

ANTH54730: Fieldwork and Interpretation

Type Open Level 4 Credits 30 Availability Available in 2007/08

Prerequisites

  • None

Corequisites

Excluded Combination of Modules

  • None.

Aims

  • To give students a comprehensive view of anthropological field methods and the interpretation of ethnographic data.

Content

  • Relation of explanatory theories to methods of research.
  • Learning and interpreting everyday life: participant observation (everyday life as field research), noticing, querying, note-taking.
  • Eliciting and interpreting texts: life histories, narratives, myths and religious texts.
  • Eliciting and interpreting accounts of social life: semi-structured and unstructured interviews, questionnaires, geneologies, family histories, participatory social research.
  • Eliciting and interpreting categories and symbols: participatory mapping, semantic domains, indigenous knowledge, kinship terminologies.
  • Using qualitative software tools.
  • Using IT resources to source methods and explinations and to create new sources.

Learning Outcomes

Subject-specific Knowledge:
    Subject-specific Skills:
      Key Skills:

        Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

        • Lecrures, practicals and project work.

        Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

        Activity Number Frequency Duration Total/Hours
        Seminars 22 Weekly 2 hours 44
        Preparation and Reading 256
        Total 300

        Summative Assessment

        Component: Research Project Report Component Weighting: 100%
        Element Length / duration Element Weighting Resit Opportunity
        Research Project Report 5000 words 100%

        Formative Assessment:

        Seminar presentation and contribution of project plan and bibliography to departmental website on anthropological field methods.


        Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University