The central element of the class is a project that you will
conduct, in groups of two or three. This project will
occupy most of our attention for the second half of the
class, and also be the focus around which methodological
and theoretical explorations will be organized. In this
project, you will use the techniques discussed in the class
to gather, analyze, and present ethnographic materials.
I neither assign groups nor assign project topics. Figuring
those out for yourselves is the first problem.
Since we are particularly concerned with technology, your
project should probably have something to do with it. This
is not, however, my first criterion, and, as we will
discuss, the relationship between ethnography and
technology is a complex one. It is unlikely that your
project will be a technology evaluation, since that is hard
to achieve within the framework of this class. However, you
might study a technologically-oriented practice, or study a
setting into which technology might be introduced. For
example, last year's project included a study of the
culture of customized cars, a study of software user
groups, and a study of how sorority girls organized their
closets (with an eye towards developing a "smart closet.")
I am always happy to have people do projects that are
related to their broader research interests, although you
will have to persuade a partner to work on the project with
you, of course. Your project should involve data collection
as well as analysis. Given the constraints of the quarter
system, we need to be able to get down to work on the
project pretty quickly. It would be as well, then, if you
have some idea in mind for how to get access to a field
site. We can discuss this, although negotiating access is
going to be part of your challenge.
The project will furnish materials for in-class analysis.
For most of the quarter, presuming that all goes well, at
least one class per week will be a "data session" in which
one group brings some material (field notes, interview
transcripts, and/or memos) for collective discussion, or
presents an analysis in progress. Doing these group data
sessions not only provides you with input on your project
from other perspectives, but also helps you see how others
are grappling with similar problems.
A detailed report on your project will be due at the end of
the quarter, and will be the primary focus for evaluation.
Please note: in order to conduct your
research project, you should have taken the IRB "C"
tutorial on human subjects research. This is a prerequisite
for any proposal for research that will involve humans as
research subjects. You can take the tutorial as a "visitor"
to learn the material, but you must take it for credit
before the class starts. You can find the tutorial at the RGS web site. (Take the test
marked "Human Research Tutorial.")