96439 - Research Methods in Cultural Studies (1)

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course the student: is provided with a toolbox (made of concepts, methods and techniques) related to cultural studies; has developed basic skills for designing, conducting, and evaluating empirical researches in the field of cultural studies, with special reference to arts, music, and entertainment.

Course contents

Is it possible to measure ideas and experiences? Can personal tastes be translated into "objective" data, and what can "objectivity" be in cultural studies? What is a semi-structured interview and how does it differ from an in-depth interview? How do you process words, images, sounds when they are given in fragments or, conversely, in masses of data? And what is a "datum" and how is it found or, rather, how is it constructed? How are the results of "fieldwork" research presented, and how are they read? What role do tables, graphs, diagrams, or images play? And what is a research report, or rather, what literary genre does it belong to?

The course introduces the logic and practice of research, especially empirical research, in the interdisciplinary field of cultural studies from both a historical and critical perspective. It does so by closely reading a classic text: Distinction: A Social Critique of the Judgement of Taste by Pierre Bourdieu.

We will see how this research, which has become a model for other studies, was constructed, and we will analyze and evaluate a text that has become an essential reference for anyone studying culture today. Through the prism of Distinction, we will observe qualitative and quantitative approaches, "mixed" approaches, critical, and postcolonial approaches at work. We will compare methods (experimental, ethnographic, narrative, etc.) and data collection techniques (interviews, questionnaires, more or less participant observation, personal and institutional documents, etc.) and data analysis. We will see how this research introduced and experimented with, among other methods and techniques, "arts-based" ones. And we will also see how it is possible to use it to study, decades after its first publication, cultural practices and objects in the age of digital media and platforms, on the one hand, and cognitive sciences on the other.

During the course, we will also work on concrete research questions, prepare interview guides and questionnaire templates, practice "field" observations by simulating research situations, discuss preliminary research results, and investigate the forms of presentation and visualization of the results themselves. The field we will work on is that of "culture" understood both in a humanistic sense (the interpretation and classification of cultural works, the creation and "enjoyment" of art objects, philosophical ideas, etc.) and in a socio-anthropological sense (ordinary, everyday, popular culture, that of the most common cultural practices such as grocery shopping, cooking and eating, going out with friends, playing, surfing the web, reading a book, etc.).

Students with specific learning disorders (SLD) or temporary/permanent disabilities should contact the appropriate University office (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en) immediately and agree with the teacher the most effective strategies for attending the lectures and preparing for the exam.

 

Readings/Bibliography

REQUIRED:

P. Bourdieu, La distinzione. Critica sociale del gusto, Milano, Bologna 2001 (edizione a cura di M. Santoro)

M. Santoro, Bourdieu in pratica. Guida all'uso di un'opera sociologica, Bologna, Il Mulino 2025 (disponibile da settembre)

During the course, we will refer to two other texts, which are not mandatory for the exam:

P. Bourdieu, La logica della ricerca sociale, Milano, Mimesis 2019.

P. Montesperelli e F. Parziale, Ricerca sociale e processi culturali, Roma, Carocci 2023 (in particolare il capitolo 3: La distinzione e i consumi culturali).

Teaching methods

Lectures with in-class research simulations and seminar discussion sessions. One of the objectives of the course is indeed to share knowledge, reflections, and research paths (on the text, starting from the text, against the text) in the critical and participatory pedagogical spirit characteristic of both British Cultural Studies and Bourdieu's sociological practice.

Assessment methods

Oral Exam

The oral exam will typically consist of three questions covering topics from the course and, in any case, from the required readings. The discussion will start with a brief research report (see below).

Important Note on the Research Report

Every student is required to put into practice, with an exercise, at least one research tool: an interview, participant observation, secondary analysis of statistical or textual data, or visual methods (photographs and images).

For this exercise, you must provide a brief descriptive account in a report of approximately 1000 words, structured into three points:

1. Research question
2. Research method or methods
3. Main results and any problems encountered

This report must be submitted on the day of the exam and will be the subject of discussion during the exam itself.

Students with specific learning disorders (SLD) or temporary/permanent disabilities should contact the appropriate University office (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en) in advance. The office will be responsible for proposing adaptations to interested students. Such adaptations must be submitted to the teacher for approval at least 15 days before the exam session. The teacher will also evaluate the adaptations regarding the training objectives of teaching.

Teaching tools

• Auxiliary material in PDF format: This will be uploaded to the course's online platform.

• Supporting videos.

• Course slides: These will be made available at the conclusion of the lectures.

Office hours

See the website of Marco Santoro