Reading Ethnography — DU B.A (hons) Socialogy Previous Year Question Papers

Common List of Generic Electives (GE) Semester VII Generic Elective (GE) 19 Reading Ethnographies GENERIC ELECTIVE COURSE-19 (GE-19) : Reading Ethnographies CREDIT DISTRIBUTION, ELIGIBILITY AND PRE-REQUISITES OF THE Course title & Credits Credit distribution of the course Eligibility Pre- Code Lecture Tutorial Practical/ criteria requisite Practice of the course Reading 4 3 1 • Pass Nil Learning Objectives: 1. This course encourages students to engage deeply with ethnographic texts by reading them in their entirety. 2. The course is designed to help students critically engage with ethnographies as a distinctive way of understanding social realities. Each unit focuses on a particular aspect of ethnography, supported by relevant readings. 3. Through this course, students will develop the ability to critically analyse the process of fieldwork, as well as the themes of representation, ethics, and writing in ethnographic production. 4. Students will understand the limits of inquiry in ethnographic research and understand ethnographic representation as a distinct mode of knowledge. 5. By fostering critical and interpretive skills for engaging with diverse social realities and lived experiences, the course aligns itself with SDG 4 - Quality Education Learning outcomes: By the end of the course, students will be able to: 1. Develop the ability to read, understand, and critically analyse an ethnographic text, with attention to fieldwork methodologies, writing styles, ethical concerns, and representation. 2. Understand the complexities of conducting ethnographic research, including the interplay between the researcher (self) and the subjects (other). 3. Assess the ways in which ethnographies construct knowledge and how context, subjectivity, and objectivity shape these narratives. 4. Learn to identify what matters to people within their lived experiences by paying close attention to small details and the socio-cultural contexts within which ethnographies are situated. 5. Reflect on the ethical dimensions of fieldwork and ethnographic writing, including the responsibilities of researchers toward the communities they study. 6. Demonstrate skills critical to pursuit of SDG 4 - Quality Education. Unit I. Ethnographic Mode of Enquiry (9 Hours) This unit introduces the historical development of ethnographic methods, focusing on foundational debates, early methodologies, and shifting perspectives over time. a. Defining Ethnography b. How to Read an Ethnography? Unit II. Field, Self and the Other: Method and Scope (9 Hours) This unit examines the practice of fieldwork, addressing methodological concerns and discussions on field immersion, participant observation and the insider-outsider debate in ethnographic research. a. Ethnographic Method: The Beginnings b. Ethnographic Fieldwork c. Self and the Other Unit III. Ethnographic Writing: Representation and Ethics in the Field (9 Hours)