CAST 300/301
8
Oberlin College Instructor: Dr. Meredith Raimondo
CAST 300/301 Phone: 775-5291
Fall 2006 Email:
Time: T 9:00 – 10:50 Office: King 141G
Location: King 121 Office Hours: W 2 – 4, Th 10 - 11
Teaching Assistant: Lydia Pelot-Hobbs
Email:
SITUATED RESEARCH
This Comparative American Studies course utilizes community-based learning in order to explore issues of politics, ethics, practice, and positionality in interdisciplinary research. This experience will prepare participants 1) to design and complete a qualitative research project 2) to think critically about issues of method and methodology and 3) to articulate the role of critical interdisciplinary studies in higher education, social policy, and activist movements. In particular, this course offers an opportunity for participants to consider the commitment of scholars in ethnic, queer and feminist studies to integrate critiques of knowledge production with the investigation of communities, issues, and questions often overlooked, excluded, or misrepresented by professional researchers.
There are two major components to this course. In the practicum, students will engage in participatory research by volunteering on a weekly basis at a community organization or other appropriate research site. The weekly seminar will provide a space for thoughtful reflection and guide students through the steps of completing an academic research project. Readings will discuss particular methods of data collection (participant observation, interviews, focus groups, etc.) and introduce theoretical debates about research methodologies. We will pay close attention to issues of social location and the power dynamics of community-based research. Monographs based on field work in educational institutions, non-profits, and/or grassroots organizations will demonstrate various approaches employed by scholars using qualitative methods to develop research questions, collect data, and interpret their findings. These texts were chosen because they address one or more of the three concentrations in the Comparative American Studies major—identity and diversity; nation, transnationalism, and globalization, and theories and practices of social change.
Required Texts:
Books are available at the Oberlin College Bookstore or the Mudd Library Reserve room. Articles are available under Course Documents on Blackboard; see schedule of reading for specific titles.
Bettie, Julie. Women without Class: Girls, Race and Identity. Berkeley: The University of California Press, 2003.
Dorow, Sara. Transnational Adoption: A Cultural Economy of Race, Gender, and Kinship. New York: New York University Press, 2006.
Erzen, Tanya. Straight to Jesus: Sexual and Christian Conversions in the Ex-Gay Movement. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2006.
Lyon-Callo, Vincent. Inequality, Poverty, and Neoliberal Governance. Orchard Park, NY: Broadview Press, 2004.
Ong, Aihwa. Buddha is Hiding: Refugees, Citizenship, The New America. Berkeley: The University of California Press, 2003.
Course Requirements:
Discussion: The academic study of social justice often raises issues that are controversial or which evoke strong personal feelings. There are few “right” answers to the questions we are exploring; my goal in this course is to identify the skill which will enable you to develop your own positions. It is therefore critical that everyone commits to making this classroom a space for honest and open expressions of difference. I ask that course members respond to carefully thought-out ideas and questions with patience and respect.
Reading: It is important to cultivate the skills that allow you to manage lengthy reading assignments. If you find you are having trouble finishing the reading, please see me so we can identify effective strategies for completing the assignments.
Assignment Format: Written assignments should be word-processed, double-spaced, and use a standard font type and size (12 point Times New Roman or the equivalent). Include your name, the date, a title, and page numbers. If you are required to submit a paper copy, you must staple the pages. For either electronic or paper submissions, please be sure to proofread carefully for style and grammar. Papers that do not follow proper formatting instructions may receive a 1/3 of a grade deduction.
Late Policy: It is your commitment to this class and your classmates that you will be present and ready to begin work at the start of class. Repeated lateness may result in significant deductions to your final grade in this course.
Course assignments must be submitted on time in order to receive full credit. I will deduct 1/3 of a grade for each day (24 hours) an assignment is late (i.e., from B+ to B). Late papers may not receive written comments. Please save your work often to avoid computer-related disasters and be sure to allow sufficient time to print in case of technical difficulties. Requests for extensions must be submitted in writing at least 48 hours prior to the assignment due date and are generally available only for extraordinary circumstances. If you receive an extension, you must attach my written approval in order to receive on-time credit for your work. Papers due in class must be turned in at the start of class—if you arrive late, the paper will be considered one day late.
CR/NE or P/NP: If you are taking this course CR/NE or P/NP, you must fulfill all course obligations and complete all assignments in order to receive credit for the course.
Honor Code: This course will follow the policies described in the Oberlin College Honor Code and Honor System. Please include the statement “I affirm that I have adhered to the Honor Code in this assignment” in all written work. If you have any questions about academic honesty, citation, or the relationship of the Honor Code to your work in this course, please let me know.
Students with Disabilities: If you need disability-related accommodations for your work in this course, please let me know. Support is available through Student Academic Services—please contact Jane Boomer, Coordinator of Services for Students with Disabilities, for assistance in developing a plan to address your academic needs.
CAST 300/Research Seminar Assignments:
- PARTICIPATION (10%): In order for our time in class together to be as productive as possible, you will be expected to contribute to three areas as follows:
Attendance: This course will be primarily conducted as a discussion course; therefore, your timely and consistent attendance is required. After two absences, additional absence will generally lower your final grade in the course (1/3 of a grade per two additional absences). In case of illness or personal emergency, absences may be excused through a doctor or dean’s note.
Discussion: Your thoughtful spoken analysis and active listening will be a central component of your work in this course. If you are uncomfortable speaking in class, please see me to discuss strategies for increasing your participation.
In-class Activities: In-class activities may include small group discussion, writing assignments, or other collaborative work. These assignments will not be graded but must be completed.
2. READING RESPONSES. These assignments are designed to enhance the course reading assignments and to facilitate conversation among course members.
Discussion Leadership (5%). Due various dates to be assigned. In groups of two, you will prepare a brief presentation (approximately ten minutes) on the week’s reading which 1) describes the argument of the work 2) describes its methodology and 3) identifies three to five questions for class discussion. Questions must be submitted to me in writing by noon on Monday before the presentation date.
Blackboard Posting (5%). Due each Monday by 10 p.m. Each course member is required to post a paragraph (3 – 5 sentences) containing an analysis or analytical question about the week’s reading to the course discussion board.
- RESEARCH PROJECT. Each student will complete a research paper based on the field placement. Further instructions will be provided in class for each component of the project.
Proposal (5%). 3 – 5 pages (2 - 3 pages description; 1 – 2 pages annotated bibliography). Due October 9 to the digital drop box. Describe your research question and methodology and develop a brief annotated bibliography.
Literature Review (10%). 4 – 6 pages. Due October 30 to the digital drop box. Analyze key scholarly texts from peer-reviewed academic journals and monographs in relation to your research question.
Data Analysis Report (5%). 2 – 3 pages. Due November 13 to the digital drop box. Provide a preliminary account of your data analysis including coding of field notes/interviews or other forms of analysis as appropriate.
Initial Draft (10%) 8 pages minimum. Two printed copies due November 28 at the start of class. Initial drafts may not be in outline form and must include an introduction, body, and conclusion.
Final Draft (40%) 12 – 15 pages. Printed copy due December 21 at 2 p.m. in King 141-G. Final drafts should demonstrate significant revision of initial drafts and include full citations and bibliography in Chicago style.
- COMMUNITY RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM (10%). December 2, schedule TBA (plan to be available from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.). Each course member will develop a fifteen minute research presentation for a public symposium. Community partners will be invited to this event.
CAST 301/Practicum Assignments:
1. PRACTICUM ATTENDANCE (10%). 5 – 10 hours/week. You are expected to establish and maintain a schedule of participation at your field site and to report your hours accurately. You must arrange a placement by 9/19 and attend weekly with the exception of official holidays. Each student is responsible for ten weeks of fieldwork over the course of the semester. In the case of excused absences, you are expected to make up missed time.
2. FIELD SITE DESCRIPTION (15%). 3 - 4 pages. Due September 25 by 4 p.m. to the digital drop box. Describe the key features of your field site, including the location/physical space, organizational structure and mission, participants (employees, volunteers, clients, etc.), the local context (including relevant population and economic data). By way of conclusion, identify any methodological and/or ethical issues and questions related to your position as researcher.
3. DOCUMENTATION OF PRACTCUM EXPERIENCE (60%). 5 pages weekly; due Friday by 4 p.m. to the digital drop box beginning September 22. These materials will generally consist of observational field notes, but depending on the methods you choose for your project may also include other forms of data including interview transcripts, focus group transcripts, life histories, and photographic or archival documentation. Please consult with me in advance about what form of documentation is appropriate for your project.
4. PRACTICUM REFLECTION (15%). 4 – 5 pages; due Dec. 11 by 4 p.m. to the digital drop box. Use this assignment to reflect on what you learned from your practicum experience. You might consider the specific social issues you encountered, a self-evaluation of your participation, or the ways this experience shaped your understanding of the relationship between research, inequality, and social change. Although you are welcome to use a personal voice, please ensure that your reflection has a thesis and a clear structure.
Summary of Deadlines:
Weekly Documentation of Practicum
Weekly Blackboard Posting
Various Discussion Leadership
Sep 25 Field Site Description
Oct 9 Research Proposal
Oct 30 Literature Review
Nov 13 Data Analysis Report
Nov 28 Research Paper Initial Draft
Dec 2 Field Research Symposium
Dec 11 Practicum Reflection
Dec 21 Research Paper Final Draft
Summary of Grading Policy:
CAST 300:
Participation…………………………..10%
Blackboard…...... 5%
Discussion Leadership…………….…...5%
Research Proposal………………….…. 5%
Literature Review. …………….…...... 10%
Data Analysis…………………...... …5%
Initial Draft…………………….……...10%
Final Draft…………………………….40%
Colloquium Presentation………….…..10%
CAST 301:
Practicum Attendance………….……..10%
Documentation of Practicum…...…….60%
Field Site Description………………....15%
Practicum Reflection……………….…15%
Schedule of Readings and Assignments:
T Sep 5: Introductions
Th Sep 7: Data Collection and Documentation
∙ Robert Emerson, Rachel Fretz, and Linda Shaw, “Fieldnotes in Ethnographic Research,” 1 – 16*
∙ John Lofland, “Field Notes,” 233 – 235*
∙ Colin Robson, “Interview,” 269 – 291*
T Sep 12: Research Methods and Situated Knowledges
∙ Linda Thuiwai Smith, “On Tricky Ground,” 85 - 107*
∙ Michael Angrosino and Kimberly Mays de Pérez, “Rethinking Observation,” 673 – 702*
∙ Charles Gallagher, “White like Me,” 67 – 92*
∙ Kysa Nygree, “Reproducing or Challenging Power in the Questions We Ask and the Methods We Use,” 1 – 26*
T Sep 19: Comparative Approaches to Qualitative Research
∙ Julie Bettie, Women without Class
M Sep 25: ***Field Site Description due to King 141-G by 4 p.m.
T Sep 26: Ethics and Power
∙ Naheed Islam, “Research as an Act of Betrayal,” 35 – 66*
∙ Ana Mari Cauce and Richard Nobles, “With All Due Respect,” 197 – 215*
∙ Bruce Berg, “Ethical Issues,” 43 – 74*
∙ Gerald Mohatt and Lisa Thomas, “‘I Wonder, Why Would You Do It That Way?,” 93 – 115*
∙ Additional Resources:
American Historical Association Standards of Professional Conduct
American Sociological Association Code of Ethics
American Anthropological Association Code of Ethics
Oberlin College Institutional Review Board
T Oct 3: Activist Scholarship and Community Organizations
∙ Vincent Lyon-Callo, Inequality, Poverty, and Neoliberal Governance
M Oct 9: ***Project Proposal due by 4 p.m.
T Oct 10: The Politics of Agency
∙ Tanya Erzen, Straight to Jesus
T Oct 17: Fall Break
T Oct 24: Citizenship
∙ Aihwa Ong, Buddha is Hiding, 1 - 141
M Oct 30: ***Literature Review Due
T Oct 31: Citizenship II
∙ Aihwa Ong, Buddha is Hiding, 142 - 286
T Nov 7: Data Analysis
∙ Robert Emerson, Rachel Fretz, and Linda Shaw, “Processing Fieldnotes,”
142 – 168*
∙ Kathy Charmaz, “Grounded Theory in the 21st Century,” 507 – 535*
∙ Michelle Fine and Lois Weis, “Compositional Studies, in Two Parts,” 65 – 84*
∙ Janice Ristock, “Community-based Research,” 77 – 154*
M Nov 13 ***Data Analysis Report Due
T Nov 14: Transnational Methodologies I
∙ Sara Dorow, Transnational Adoption, 1 – 151
T Nov 21: Transnational Methodologies II
∙ Sara Dorow, Transnational Adoption, 152 – 281
T Nov 28: Initial Draft Workshop
∙ ***Two printed copies of your initial draft are due at the start of class
S Dec 2: Community Research Colloquium
∙ Presentations of research projects
T Dec 5: Reflections on Community-Based Academic Research
∙ Davydd Greenwood and Morten Levin, “Reconstructing the Relationships between Universities and Society through Action Research,” 85 – 106*