SOCIOL 356: Qualitative Methodology

This course instructs students in the principles and methods of qualitative research and prepares them to develop an original research project that deepens their understanding of social worlds. Students will receive hands-on training in the epistemology, theory, methods, and politics of qualitative methodology. Based on faculty expertise, students may learn participant observation, interviewing, archival work, or media, content, and textual analysis, among others, and the strengths and weaknesses of each method. Students will develop the skills, techniques, and knowledge necessary to design and undertake an independent qualitative research study. They will learn to formulate a central research question rooted in sociological literature, propose and design an original research project. Students will learn practical research skills, conduct extensive field data collection, analyze these data, and draft a final qualitative research report. This is a required course for sociology majors.