The Comitas Institute for Anthropological Study (CIFAS) is pleased to announce the 12th CIFAS Field School in Ethnographic Research Methods, in New York City. The goal of the Field School is to offer training in the foundations and practice of ethnographic methods. The faculty works closely with participants to identify the required field methods needed to address their academic or professional needs.

The Field School is suitable for graduate and undergraduate students in social sciences and other fields of study that use qualitative approaches (such as education, communication, cultural studies, health, social work, human ecology, development studies, consumer behaviour, among others), applied social scientists, professionals, and researchers who have an interest in learning more about ethnographic methods and their applications.

Programme

• 22 July: Foundations of ethnographic research
• 23 July: Theory and practice: Social theories in the field
• 24 July: Research design
• 25 July: Data collection techniques
• 26 July: Planning the logistics of field research
• 27 July: Field trip: Thunderbirds’ 41st Annual Grand Mid-Summer Pow Wow, Queens Farm Museum
• 28 July: Sunday – no class.
• 29 July: Ethnography in specific fields of activity (applied social sciences, health, social service, environmental studies, public policy design, business, and others)
• 30 July: Principles of organisation and indexation of field data
• 31 July: Analysing field data; Qualitative analysis software packages: Basic principles
• August 1: Wrap up session

Classes will run from 9am–12pm

The total workload of the course is 30 hours. Students interested in earning credits for the course may have additional assignments in order to totalise 45 hours of activities (what is equivalent to 3 credits).

Venue

Classes will take place at the Institute for Latin American Studies at Columbia University.

Coordinators

• Renzo Taddei (Assistant Professor, Federal University of São Paulo/Affiliated Researcher, Columbia University) – CV.
• Lambros Comitas (Gardner Cowles Professor of Anthropology and Education at Teachers College, Columbia University) – CV.

Registration and other costs: places are limited. The tuition fee is US$ 900. The tuition fee does not cover accommodation, meals or transportation. Registration should be completed online.

Insurance

Participants are required to have travel insurance that covers medical and repatriation costs (for international students). Proof of purchase of travel insurance must be presented at the first day of activities.

For more information, please write to Renzo Taddei at rrt20@columbia.edu