88040 - Methodological Laboratory Of Social Research (B)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course the students are able to manage the basic knowledge of qualitative research and develop theoretical skills about the principal techniques used (discursive interview, focus group and participant observation). Learning the basics of the theory allows to elaborate - in a critical way -the design of a qualitative research, also in view of the thesis. In particular, the student will be able to: - know the theoretical assumptions necessary to set up a qualitative survey; become familiar with the procedures for implementing the relevant concepts; explore the tools of data collection and analysis techniques to interpret the results obtained in the light of the theories.

Course contents

Introduction to qualitative research:
- what is it?
- why do you do it?
- how do you set it?
- setting of cases and sampling

The main techniques:

1) Discursive interview
- what are the types of interviews?
- sampling
- drafting the track
- conducting the interview
- the transcription of the interview

2) Focus group:
- the type of focus
- design the focus
- prepare the track
- how to conduct it?
- manage the contact

3) Participant Observation:
- drawing of the participant observation
- field work: access and first contact
- tricks to discover the undeclared
- informants
- drafting of ethnographic notes

Analysis of empirical documentation and writing
- the analysis steps
- primary, secondary and meta-analysis
- writing
- software

Visual Techniques: a short introduction

Readings/Bibliography

Main book:

Cardano M. (2011), La ricerca qualitativa, Bologna il Mulino

 

English articles 

Moretti V. and Morsello B. (2017). Self–management and Type 1 Diabetes. How Technology Redefines Illness,Tecnoscienza, 8(1): 51-72.

Borozdina E, Rotkirch A, Temkina A, Zdravomyslova E, (2016) Using maternity capital: Citizen distrust of Russian family policy, European Journal of Women’s Studies, 23(1) 60–75.

Abbott et al.(2006) Chernobyl: Living with risk and uncertainty, Health, Risk & Society, 8(2): 105 – 121

Crawley Sara L. 2002. "'They Still Don't Understand Why I Hate Wearing Dresses!' An Autoethnographic Rant on Dresses, Boats, and Butchness". Cultural Studies and Critical Methodologies 2(1): 69 - 92

Teaching methods

Frontal lessons with use of supports.
Discussion of empirical cases and exercises.
Video and spots. For the purposes of the course, the comprehension of English is required.

Assessment methods

At the end of the course students are required to prepare a short research project based on the acquired knowledge (75% of the score). Participation in the classroom also forms part of the final evaluation (with a value of 25%).
Evaluation criteria adopted:
- knowledge of the program
- capacity for critical argumentation
- spontaneous study of national / international literature

Teaching tools

PC, internet, whiteboard, powerpoint, social network

Office hours

See the website of Veronica Moretti