Preparation and teaching
May 13, 2024
At least one week prior to the class, participants should upload a short piece of ethnographic writing of their choosing into a shared folder. These pieces should be less than five pages long (so a part of an article, or chapter, etc.) and should illustrate aspects of ethnographic writing that the reader enjoys or admires. In addition, participants should read Carole McGranahan’s article entitled “Ethnography Beyond Method".
During this session, we will discuss ethnography as a set of writing conventions that reflect contemporary understandings of what constitutes ethnographic knowledge and its limitations. We will also discuss practical techniques for transforming field notes, photographs, or other forms of data into ethnographic scenes.
June 10, 2024 — course via zoom
Prior to this class session, participants should write 500-word ethnographic scenes and bring them to class (based on instructions given during our May 13 session). During this class, we will provide feedback on each others’ writing, paying particular attention to how an “ethnographic sensibility” is conveyed in the text.