Karen O'Reilly O'Reilly is Emeritus Professor of Sociology at Loughborough University, and an affiliate of the School of Anthropology and Museum Ethnography, University of Oxford. She has taught ethnographic and qualitative methods for over 20 years, including the Essex Summer School in Social Science Data Collection and Analysis, the Swiss Summer School in Social Science Methods, in Lugano; at the Universities of Aberdeen, Essex, Loughborough and Oxford; and at universities in Germany, Norway and Hong Kong. Her experience also includes being a Member of the Advisory Board of the NCRM biannual Research Methods Festival 2011-2012; and a member of the ESRC Peer Review College 2012 - 2016. Karen is a highly experienced ethnographer and qualitative researcher whose many publications include two widely cited books on ethnography: Ethnographic Methods (Routledge, 2nd ed. 2012) and Key Concepts in Ethnography (Sage, 2009). She has also been instrumental in the design and evaluation of Masters level Research Methods courses and programmes in a number of universities. Karen provides short courses for the SRA on a regular basis, as well as bespoke training in qualitative research methods. [Karen O'Reilly's web page]
Ethnography is the long-term, intimate study of social life - the traditional approach of social anthropologists travelling long distances to spend time in exotic destinations among 'other' cultures. Ethnography has not only come home, it has also been developed and adapted for modern times and for contemporary social issues. We now have visual ethnography, digital ethnography, multi-sited (or mobile) ethnography, sensual approaches, short-term ethnography, and applied and policy-driven research seeking insights that can influence interventions. A rich array of Ethnographic Methods is now available to researchers to employ in complex and creative ways in diverse settings, for challenging applications. These developments in the field evoke concerns as well as opportunities for the would-be ethnographer. What counts as ethnography now? How can ethnographic methods be combined with other methods to study contemporary issues? How can we use ethnographic methods and still do good quality research of value?
This course provides a comprehensive introduction to the technical, practical and philosophical issues that arise when employing traditional and innovative ethnographic methods. We cover the following topics: the history of social anthropological methods and contemporary approaches; the methods of ethnography (entering the field, participant observation, sharing conversations with others, making field notes, writing others); multi-sited, virtual, visual and sensory ethnography; short-term and applied approaches; reflexivity and the emotions in fieldwork; and making sense of observational data and telling credible and valid stories.
The course is practical, encouraging participants to relate topics to their own research interests and to carry out and begin to analyse micro-observational studies.
Course objectives: By the end of the course participants should: Be able to make close, theory-oriented observations through participation, observation, and conversation. Be equipped to record and analyse the data produced through diverse methods. Take a critical and creative approach to ethnographic methods and understand how they can be combined with other methods of data collection for a range of social, political and policy research areas. Be in a position to defend the validity and reliability of ethnographic interpretations.
Course Prerequisites: The course is introductory but intensive, rapidly taking participants from a beginner's to an advanced level. Some prior familiarity with qualitative methods and a background knowledge of philosophy of social science is required. Participants should be aware that the practical decisions to be made when conducting ethnographic research are necessarily theoretically-informed and will vary with each practitioner's orientation. The course aims to equip participants with the knowledge required to make those decisions for themselves in practice.
Karen invites participants to contact her before the start of the course so that, as far as possible, the course can be tailored to your needs.