B02-02AM: Political Ethnography

Political Ethnography is a broad, interdisciplinary research strategy that aims at generating contextual knowledge through the immersion of the researcher into the world(s) they study. If you remember anything from this course, it should be: ethnography = immersion. ‘Political Ethnography’ is a compound term that pushes together ‘politics’ and ‘ethnography’, and we will explore both terms and their coming together in the context of research methods and methodology.

Taken literally, ethnography means the ‘writing’ (-graphy) of ‘culture’ (ethnos), and the  ethnography part of political ethnography can refer to a mode of analysis, a set of methods for  data generation, and a way of writing academic text. The political part of political ethnography  can either indicate the substantial focus of the project or its constitutive dynamics. The two are  often intertwined in practice, which calls for heightened reflexivity and care.  

Overall, this course provides a space to learn about and experiment with what it means to  study politics and power ethnographically. The course hours are arranged around situating,  doing and writing ethnography. We will engage with methodological debates, read and  consider ethnographic texts, and work on reflection and writing exercises linked to  participants’ individual research projects. Each day includes a small writing assignment linked to the participants’ own (ethnographic) projects.  

Purpose and learning objectives: 

Knowledge

• Describing and explaining the standards of ethnographic research – Applying the key concepts and practices of ethnographic work 
• Understanding the value and limits of ethnographic research 
• Accounting for relevant debates in the field 

Skills

• Designing and conducting ethnographic research 
• Comparing ethnographic research to other forms of inquiry 
• Evaluating ethnographic knowledge claims  
• Producing and handling ethnographic data and texts 

Competences

• Strengthening critical thinking by reading ethnographically 
• Acknowledging and identifying the politics of knowledge claims  – Developing ethnographic sensibilities for the complexity of social and political life  – Evaluating and relating ethnographic studies to other social scientific traditions 

Expectations

The course requires meaningful engagement from its participants. It is conceived with the  intent of us exploring together what ethnographic research into politics and power looks like.  Readings should be read ahead of sessions and participants need to be willing to put in extra  time between or after sessions for writing, trying out, and reflection. Like any method,  ethnography can only be learned by being done. To get 3 ECTS, participants need to  complete (and informally submit) all 5 writing exercises for each course day. To get 4 ECTS,  participants need to complete an additional assignment upon completion of the course.

This description is subject to change at the discretion of the Instructor

2 Credits

For completion of all work before and during the course, as outlined by the Instructor, and 90% participation and attendance of the course.

2 Additional Credits

Course specific extra assignments. These can include submitting assignments before the course, daily assignments, and/or a final assignment to be completed after the course as decided by the Instructor.  This description is subject to change at the discretion of the Instructor.