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INFOSYS 296A: Ethnographic Practice

Spring 2006

Course Description

This seminar will focus on three close readings of five ethnographies:

• Sharon Traweek: Beamtimes and Lifetimes
• Lucy Suchman: Plans and Situated Actions (unpublished new edition)
• Jean Briggs: Inuit Morality Play
• Paul Willis: Learning to Labour
• Jeanne Favret-Saada: Deadly Words

We'll read each first to get acquainted with the ethnographic context and material and the author's theoretical perspective. This will generate questions for a second, closer, reading about how different ethnographic projects are produced, what kinds of labor are involved and how these aspects of the craft are interdependent. We will consider how ethnographers pursue and also bring closure to lines of research inquiry. We'll inquire into what is meant by "analysis" in ethnographic research. What difference does the author's theoretical perspective make on all aspects of the undertaking? The questions guiding third readings will develop through student projects. The seminar is intended for students who engage frequently with ethnographic texts, are planning ethnographic research, or are working on dissertations and papers based on ethnographic inquiry.

Prerequisites

None.