82141 - Laboratory Of Qualitative Social Research 1

Learning outcomes

The course will provide the students with the theoretical knowledge and the practical skills for designing and conducting qualitative research projects.

Through lectures, seminars and practical exercises in small groups, students will get acquainted with the main qualitative techniques for data collection and data analysis in the context of welfare policy.

At the end of the course, students will be able to a) formulate specific research questions; b) choose and apply the most suitable data collection methods in relation to the identified research questions; c) choose and apply the most suitable analysis techniques in the context of welfare interventions

Course contents

The Labs will focus on the development and implementation of sociological methodologies in order to interpret the social reality under different perspectives (on line, off line, on life).

The activity that will be performed in the Labs are practical ones and the learning philosophy is grounded in the analysis of case studies.

Students will carry out empirical studies both related to digital methods of social research and to sociological methods into the digital realm. A topic that will be analysed is risk perception related to Covid-19

In the course,  the main elements of the digital methods will ne analysed, with a peculiar stance on digitsl ethnography.

The core of the course is dedicated to content analysis, more specifically qualitative and quantitative analysis in the digital sector.

The design of the social research in digital settings will be carefully described in all its components: how to formulate the research-question; the selections of the sources; data collection; the exploration of the dataset; text analysis; network analysis; the interpretation of the results.

 

Readings/Bibliography

Caliandro A., Gandini A. (2019), I metodi digitali nella ricerca sociale, Carocci, Roma

Bartoletti R. Giannini L. (2019.) Le relazioni tra umani e animali da compagnia mediate dal cibo: discorsi di produttori e consumatori a confronto, in Bertrand D., Marrone G. (a cura di), La sfera umanimale: valori, racconti, rivendicazioni, Meltemi, Roma

Barker, K. and Galardi, T. (2015), “Diagnostic Domain Defense and the DSM-5: The Case of Autism Spectrum Disorder." Social Problems 62(1), 120-140.

Barker, K. (2014), “Mindfulness Meditation: Do-It-Yourself Medicalization of Every Moment.” Social Science & Medicine 106: 168-176.

Other articles and books will be suggested on the basis of the empiral research the student decide to carry out

Other suggested material:

Foster Wallace, Una cosa divertente che non farò mai più, Minimum Fax, Roma, 1998 (ed. orig. 1996)

Jonathan Bazzi, Febbre, Fandango, Roma, 2019

Daniele Mencarelli, Tutto chiede salvezza, Mondadori, Milano, 2020

 

 

Teaching methods

The course is organized with a part of lectures taught online on MS TEAMS (10 hours) and another taught in presence (20 hours). The number of students allowed in class is determined on the basis of class capacity and by the health and safety provisions that deal with the pandemic emergency. In case more students want to attend classes in presence than permitted by the rules, a system of shifts will be organized so to allow students to participate in presence/online. Regardless of the health-related conditions and the specific organization of the course, students will be able to follow the lessons of the entire course (also those taught in presence) remotely on MS TEAMS.

Assessment methods

Grading will be based on a paper that will summarize the empirical work carried out by the student and also on an oral exam.

Attendance is compulsory, as stated in the rules of the Degree Program. Students can miss not more than 4 classes

Teaching tools

Slides and software for free

Office hours

See the website of Antonio Francesco Maturo