Corsi di Studio del Dipartimento di Culture, Politica e Società

Qualitative Methods in Global South Studies

Qualitative Methods in Global South Studies

Anno accademico 2019/2020

• DOING RESEARCH AND FIELDWORK IN INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION (CPS0372)

Sommario insegnamento

• Obiettivi formativi
• Risultati dell'apprendimento attesi
• Modalità di insegnamento
• Modalità di verifica dell'apprendimento
• Attività di supporto
• Programma
• Testi consigliati e bibliografia
• Note
• Strumenti didattici

Obiettivi formativi

The overall purpose of this course is to prepare students for designing, managing and carrying out qualitative research projects in the Global South. In so doing the course aims at providing the skills and research competences required to operate in the context of international development, theme which is central to the Master's degree in Area and Global Studies for International Cooperation.

To achieve this there are three related aims: i) to develop the theoretical understanding and practical skills needed to define appropriate research questions, and make effective design and methods choices ii) to equip them to competently manage the organisational, technical, logistical, ethical, communication and safety aspects of research partnerships in the Global South iii) to embed the knowledge and skills through practice, and planning, critically reflecting on and communicating about real-world projects and applications.

Risultati dell'apprendimento attesi

By the end of the course, students are expected to be able to:

1)      Understand and use a range of qualitative fieldwork methods

2)      Develop a research project - identify a research topic, problem and context, ground it through literature review, and define focused research questions

3)      Plan qualitative research strategies - select a research design and appropriate methods, and know how to apply them in fieldwork collaborations in the Global South

4)      Organise research fieldwork - plan, schedule, prepare for and manage project partnerships and activities including: materials, resources, equipment, and travel in reference to safety, language, environment, cultural context, finances and logistics

5)      Prepare for fieldwork challenges and risks - anticipate likely problems and mitigate risks, critically reflect on ethical issues and responsibilities, prepare for ethical review, and consider how to adapt responsively as the research processes unfold

Communicate/pitch a research proposal - present research plans including rationale and case for focus, design, methods, organisation and risk management and mitigation.

Modalità di insegnamento

Due to the COVID19 emergency, lectures were held in "remote” mode through the uploading of video lessons and other teaching materials on the moodle site of the course. Meetings were also organized on the webex platform for the "live" discussion of the topics covered in the lessons, seeking as much as possible, and despite the conditions, to stimulate the debate and the active participation of students in exposing the own arguments, with a view to strengthening the transversal skills indicated in the expected learning outcomes. Thanks to the moodle forums, it was possible to maintain a direct relationship with the students and answer their questions. All attending students worked as a group in an exercise, delivered at the end of the course and evaluated by the teacher. The activities carried out were aimed at encouraging the self-assessment of the students according to the strengthening of the transversal skills indicated in the expected learning outcomes.

Modalità di verifica dell'apprendimento

NON ATTENDING STUDENTS

IMPORTANT: Due to COVID19 restrictions the final evaluation of the course will consist of an online ORAL examination (via webex) based on the textbook "Sophie Laws, Caroline Harper, Nicola Jones, Rachel Marcus, Research for Development. A practical guide. Sage, 2013, second edition. During the webex oral examination students will be asked to answer to three questions (10 points for each answer). In answering to the three questions, the student must demonstrate a thorough and critical knowledge on the topic. The questions will be aimed at verifying the comprehension of the themes and concepts explored in the textbook and to assess and promote students' capacity to analyze, interpret and creatively discuss concepts.

ATTENDING STUDENTS:

Due to COVID19 restrictions the final evaluation of the course will consist of:

- an online ORAL examination (via webex) 

- the evaluation of the group work. 

The group work is due May 23^rd(via email to the tutor).

SEE "NOTE" BELOW FOR MORE DETAILED INFORMATION (AS WELL AS THE COURSE MOODLE WEBSITE WHERE ALL DETAILED INFORMATION ON THE FINAL EVALUATION IS POSTED)

Attività di supporto

In order to stimulate the acquisition of the identified transversal competences, guided readings and debates on research methods and on the research process will be proposed. Students will also be asked to present and defend specific positions within role plays, and to present their reading and interpretation of specific themes to the classroom.

Researchers with key experties in the field of development research will be invited to share their experiences and materials and help students to carry on their research activities. During group work each group will also be supported individually by the teacher in elaborating its analysis (some lessons will be devoted to group work under the supervision of the teacher).

Programma

• Introduction to fieldwork in global South contexts, including researcher positioning, reflexivity and diaries
• Qualitative research questions, research designs and methodological choices
• Literature review and texts as data
• Interview methods - approaches, skills and preparation
• Focus group methods - organisation, facilitation skills and topic guides
• Participatory, visual and performative methods, and documentation
• Intro to triangulation, qualitative analysis and quality evaluation
• Intro to innovative participatory research processes such as participatory video, digital story-telling, ground level panels, reality checks
• Intro to multi-country research partnerships and challenging research such as with highly marginalised groups or in unaccountable or contested contexts
• Developing and planning a research project
• Organising and managing fieldwork including building partnerships and research relationships, and technical and logistic aspects
• Ethics and ethics review
• Preparing for fieldwork challenges and mitigating risks

The textbook for non attending students is: Sophie Laws, Caroline Harper, Nicola Jones, Rachel Marcus, Research for Development. A practical guide. Sage, 2013, second edition. The text is available in kindle versione.

Attending students will replace the study of the texbook with lecture notes and supplementary materials provided in class, following the indications that the teacher will provide at the beginning of the course.

Note

IMPORTANT: Due to COVID19 restrictions the final evaluation of the course will consist of an online ORAL examination (via webex) 

Here all the detailed information:

Doing research and fieldwork in international cooperation

Final evalutation

 Due to COVID19 restrictions the final evaluation of the course will consist of:

ATTENDING STUDENTS:

- an online oral examination (via webex) for the module Research tools and methods in socio-cultural anthropology (1/3 of the final evaluation) on the attending students programme

- an online oral examination(via webex) for the module Qualitative methods in global South studies (1/3 of the final evaluation) on the attending students programme

- the evaluation of the group work (1/3 of the final evaluation).

The group work is due May 23^rd(via email to the tutor).

NON ATTENDING STUDENTS:

- an online oral examination (via webex) for the module Research tools and methods in socio-cultural anthropology (1/2 of the final evaluation) on the NON attending students programme

- an online oral examination(via webex) for the module Qualitative methods in global South studies (1/2 of the final evaluation) on the NON attending students programme

Dates of the oral examination for Qualitative Methods:

**As one day will not be enough to examine you all, once we will receive the list of students who registered for each date we will define the number of days needed and contact you through moodle or email telling you day and time of your webex oral examination.

Qualitative methods in Global South studies: programme

The ORAL examination (via webex) will be based on:

NON ATTENDING STUDENTS: The ORAL examination will be based on the textbook "Sophie Laws, Caroline Harper, Nicola Jones, Rachel Marcus, Research for Development. A practical guide. Sage, 2013, second edition. Purchasable online: hard copy, second hand, kindle

ATTENDING STUDENTS: The ORAL examination will be based on lecture power points, lecture notes and on supplementary materials (the full list of texts to be studied for the oral examination is uploaded, as you already know on moodle, while the handbook “Research for development” is purchasable online in kindle format or second hand)

PLEASE NOTE: the “attending student” modality for the exam will be possible for the exam sessions of June, July, September 2020, January and February 2021. After that, students of the current cohort will have to pass the oral exam with the “non-attending students” program.

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