PDF for print
Find calendar
| Title |
Online, Event Ethnography and Visual Qualitative Methods (Advanced methodology course – collection, treatment and analysis of data)
|
| Semester |
E2025
|
| Master programme in |
Global and Development Studies / International Politics and Governance / Public Administration / Social Science
|
| Type of activity |
Course |
| Teaching language |
English
|
| Study regulation |
Read about the Master Programme and find the Study Regulations at ruc.dk |
| REGISTRATION AND STUDY ADMINISTRATIVE | |
| Registration |
You register for activities through stads selvbetjening during the announced registration period, which you can see on the Study administration homepage. When registering for courses, please be aware of the potential conflicts and overlaps between course and exam time and dates. The planning of course activities at Roskilde University is based on the recommended study programmes, which should not overlap. However, if you choose optional courses and/or study plans that goes beyond the recommended study programmes, an overlap of lectures or exam dates may occur depending on which courses you choose. |
| Number of participants |
|
| ECTS |
5
|
| Responsible for the activity |
Mette Fog Olwig (mettefo@ruc.dk)
|
| Head of study |
Markus-Michael Müller (muellerm@ruc.dk)
|
| Teachers |
|
| Study administration |
ISE Registration & Exams (ise-exams@ruc.dk)
|
| Exam code(s) |
U60907
|
| ACADEMIC CONTENT | |
| Overall objective |
An advanced course in social scientific methodology aims to equip students to competently select and apply a given method for the collection, treatment and analysis of data, for the purpose of illuminating an academic problem. The course enables students to argue for the applicability and relevance of the method to the problem, and to master the techniques of the method at a professional level. |
| Detailed description of content |
This course takes point of departure in emerging modes of qualitative data collection, such as fieldwork online, ethnography at events as well as visual and participant-generated data like photo voice, essays or comics. These methods have different unique advantages. Online fieldwork can thus be very useful when it is difficult to travel, such as during pandemics or in times of political unrest. Event-ethnography at, for example, an international climate summit can enable researchers to do group participant observation and collect large amounts of qualitative data in a short period of time. Visual data can depict topics that can be difficult to put into words. And participant-generated data can enable interlocutors to produce alternative forms of data. Students will be introduced to the potentials of these new qualitative methods: When are they (not) suitable? How are they best used in relation to a particular research topic? And what considerations, including ethical considerations, must be made before implementing such methods? |
| Course material and Reading list |
The course syllabus consists of journal articles, monographs, book chapters, and other case materials. All materials are available through https://soeg.kb.dk or will be made available on the course Moodle site. Examples of readings include: Christiansen, L. B., & Olwig, M. F. (2019). The Corporate Karma Carnival: Offline and Online Games, Branding and Humanitarianism at Roskilde Festival. In R. Tavernor & M. Lawrence, eds., Global Humanitarianism and Media Culture, Manchester: Manchester University Press, pp. 246–267. Olwig, M. F., & Christiansen, L. B. (2015). Irony and Politically Incorrect Humanitarianism: Danish Celebrity-led Benefit Events. In L. A. Richey, Celebrity Humanitarianism and North-South Relations: Politics, place and power, Oxford: Routledge, pp. 170–188. Postill, J. (2024). Doing digital ethnography: a comparison of two social movement studies. In L. Cox, A. Szolucha, A. A. Lozano & S. Chattopadhyay, eds., Handbook of Research Methods and Applications for Social Movements, Edward Elgar Publishing, pp. 144-158. Büscher, B. (2021). The truth about nature: environmentalism in the era of post-truth politics and platform capitalism, Oakland, California: University of California Press. Campbell, L. M., Corson, C., Gray, N. J., MacDonald, K. I., & Brosius, J. P. (2014). Studying Global Environmental Meetings to Understand Global Environmental Governance: Collaborative Event Ethnography at the Tenth Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity. Global Environmental Politics, 14(3), 1–20. Chapter 2, Ideology as Narrative in: Lejano, R. P., & Nero, S. J. (2020). The Power of Narrative: Climate Skepticism and the Deconstruction of Science, 1st edn, Oxford University Press |
| Overall plan and expected work effort |
ECTS points for this course: 5 ECTS, i.e., approx. 135 hrs work effort. Course sessions: 10 x 2= 20 hrs Portfolio exam (written and oral): 35 hrs Course preparation: 50 hrs Exercises between sessions (practicing methods): 30 |
| Format |
|
| Evaluation and feedback |
The activity is evaluated regularly based on the study board's evaluation procedure. The responsible for the activity will be informed of any evaluation of the activity at the start of the semester. See link to the study board's evaluation practice here: https://intra.ruc.dk/fileadmin/assets/ise/Undervisning/Evaluation_procedures_at_ISE.pdf. |
| Programme |
The course will introduce the students to five different methods. Two sessions will therefore be dedicated to one method. The first session will introduce the method and the students must read about the method beforehand. Between the first and second session the students will practice the method. During the second session, the students and teacher will discuss lessons learned and problems/challenges/opportunities raised by the experiences. The portfolio will consist of reflections based on the student's experience trying out the method. This will also include the student comparing and contrasting their experience to that presented in the literature. |
| ASSESSMENT | |
| Overall learning outcomes |
At the conclusion of the course, students will be able to:
|
| Form of examination |
Individual oral exam based on a portfolio The character limit of the portfolio is maximum 18,000 characters, including spaces. Examples of written products are exercise responses, talking points for presentations, written feedback, reflections, written assignments. The preparation of the products may be subject to time limits. The character limits include the cover, table of contents, bibliography, figures and other illustrations, but exclude any appendices. Time allowed for exam including time used for assessment: 25 minutes. The assessment is an overall assessment of the written product(s) and the subsequent oral examination. Permitted support and preparation materials for the oral exam: Course material and own notes. Assessment: 7-point grading scale. Moderation: Internal co-assessor |
| Form of Re-examination |
Samme som ordinær eksamen / same form as ordinary exam
|
| Type of examination in special cases |
|
| Examination and assessment criteria |
|
| Exam code(s) | |
| Last changed | 09/07/2025 |
Find calendar (1)
PDF for print (1)