Summer, 1999

Class Listserve: EDHP551-L@usc.edu

"I'm going to do what I can to show you how I arrived at this opinion. . . . I am going to develop in your presence as fully and freely as I can the train of thought which led me to think this."

Virginia Woolf, A Room of One's Own

"But how can I hope to explain myself here, and yet, in some dim, random way, explain myself I must, else all these chapters might be for naught."

Herman Melville, Ishmael in Moby Dick

Class Objectives

1.     To analyze and apply theoretical models that undergird qualitative study;

2.     To understand and practice qualitative methods and techniques.

    In this seminar, we will discuss qualitative approaches of inquiry for social science. In particular, we will focus on dilemmas and issues that pertain to educational settings. The class will be a mixture of theoretical works about the philosophy of science and practical issues about what qualitative research entails. We will also have a variety of outside speakers throughout the semester who will provide alternative perspectives on qualitative research.

    Most of you have had relatively little or no direct experience with doing qualitative research. Many of you will undertake dissertations that involve qualitative methodologies. Consequently, this class will place many demands on you. Participation in every session of the seminar is essential, since specific learning experiences will occur in each one. Further, I will rarely, if ever, lecture. The vast majority of the class discussions will be spent in discussion of the readings. Hence, you also will need to do all of the reading. There will be three kinds of readings: philosophical texts about the nature of inquiry; methodological readings about the in's and out's of doing qualitative research; and texts that utilize qualitative methods.

Readings: Five books are available at the bookstore:

Required:

Catherine Marshall & Gretchen Rossman, Designing Qualitative Research
Steiner Kvale, InterViews: An Introduction to Qualitative Research Interviewing
John Van Maanen, Tales of the Field: On Writing Ethnography
David Morgan, Planning Focus Groups (vol. 2 of The Focus Group Kit)

Recommended:

Thomas Schwandt, Qualitative Inquiry: A Dictionary of Terms

There is also a packet of readings to be purchased at the bookstore. They are in the "reader" section of the bookstore and not with the rest of the books. Readings are also on reserve in Leavey Library.
(*) readings found in packets

Requirements and Grading

20% Class Participation
15% Class Exercises (outline, research design, etc.)
15% 5 Page Interview
50% Final Paper

The final paper will be a mini-field project that you will design and conduct. The interview and observation papers may be components of the final paper, but that is not mandatory.

I will not place grades on papers, but I do make extensive comments. If you want to know your grade, come and see me. I will provide a final grade on your final paper.

July 15 --        5 page research design

July 22 --        5 page interview

August 10 --   20 page final paper

Please note:

1. I do not intend to give incompletes. All papers must be handed in on time.
2. This class meets at 3:50-7:00. We have a lot of ground to cover; I expect class to begin on time.

CLASS SCHEDULE

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