Anthropological Research Methods

The aim of this seminar is to consider modes of anthropological knowledge production, including their epistemological assumptions and limitations. Through the examination of analytical texts and ethnographic writings, as well as carrying out individual field research projects, students will learn how to ask and evaluate anthropological research questions. Students will learn how to design, generate and evaluate different kinds of evidence. Theory and methodology in anthropology are inextricably entangled, requiring scrutiny of the theoretical underpinnings of specific methodologies and the methodological assumptions of specific theories. Students will learn how to discern the links between research questions, theories, and methodologies used in an array of anthropological projects. This course serves as a preface to Anthropology 308: Proposal Writing in which students will develop their dissertation research proposals.