Qualitative Field Research & Methods of Observing Human Behavior

Undergraduate

Most of the learning we do throughout our lives occurs by watching and learning from one another — but can we turn that practice into a formal science? The direct observation of human behavior, the systematic and critical analysis of information, and reflexive attention to positionality together allow researchers to produce theories and narratives that help us understand our social world.This class focuses on qualitative field research, one of the most established and still thriving methodologies in the social sciences. As methodology, field research has been applied in virtually any setting and remains one of the most versatile methods for studying social life. This class is designed for undergraduates who are interested in doing fieldwork research by observing a group, a place, an institution, a space, or a setting, to understand the way people feel and construct their world — to engage in what is often referred to as “being in their shoes.” SO MW 9am-10:15am