Admission requirements
For students of the BA Religiewetenschappen, who have successfully completed Methoden en Technieken 1: bronnenonderzoek, objecten en teksten.
Description
This course explores qualitative research methods for the study of religion, with an emphasis on anthropological approaches and conducting ethnographic fieldwork. Using a combination of academic literature and hands-on research assignments, we discuss and test the theory, practice, and ethical implications of employing fieldwork in research on living religious communities. In addition to guided excursions and small group work, students conduct their own project and gain experience with qualitative research design, participant observation, interviewing, crafting field notes, and generating an ethnographic research report.
Course objectives
Each student who completes the course will:
Develop a broad competence and understanding of qualitative research methods and techniques, particularly as these relate to the anthropological study of religion.
Develop a critical understanding of what it takes to design, conduct, and evaluate a small fieldwork project in a living religious community.
Gain insight into their own positionality as researchers and the ethical implications of conducting fieldwork on living religious communities.
Gain insight into what kind of knowledge can be generated by conducting fieldwork and how this relates to and differs from other approaches (e.g., quantitative, historical).
Transferable SkillsDevelop firsthand competence in the following practical skillset: designing a research project, gaining access to a living religious community, participant observation, qualitative interviewing, crafting field notes, and analysing qualitative data.
Improved critical thinking skills, oral and written communication skills, and knowledge of diverse cultures.
Working both in groups and independently.
Learn how to identify how the skills gained in the course are transferable outside of academia into fields such as journalism, public policy analysis, cultural heritage work, business administration, human resources, etc.
Timetable
The timetables are available through My Timetable.
Mode of instruction
Seminar. Attendance and participation are mandatory. Scheduled classes may be missed no more than two times and only in exceptional circumstances (at the discretion of the instructors and only with prior notice).
Assessment method
Assessment
The assessment in this course consists of 3 constituent exams:
1. Attendance and Participation. The mark for this constituent exam counts 20% towards the final mark of the course.
2. Research Portfolio. The mark for this constituent exam counts 30% towards the final mark of the course.
3. Research Report. The mark for this constituent exam counts 50% towards the final mark of the course.
Weighing
Please take note of the following. The final mark is determined as the weighted average of the Attendance and Participation (20%), Research Portfolio (30%), and Research Report (50%). To pass the course, the weighted average of the partial grades must be 5.5 or higher.
Resit
To be entitled to the resit, students must have been present and active in class and not missed more than two sessions. Only the components for which students received an insufficient mark may be retaken.
A resit is organised for every constituent exam:
Students who fail the Attendance and Participation component (20%) will be given an oral exam.
Students who fail the Research Portfolio (30%) are given 10 working days after receiving the mark and feedback to submit a new version. For those who fail to submit the assignment by the original deadline, students are given 10 working days from the original deadline (this is considered a resit version with no chance of an additional resit).
Students who fail the Research Report (50%) are given 10 working days after receiving the mark and feedback to submit a new version. For those who fail to submit the assignment by the original deadline, students are given 10 working days from the original deadline (this is considered a resit version with no chance of an additional resit).
Inspection and feedback
How and when an exam review will take place will be disclosed together with the publication of the exam results at the latest. If a student requests a review within 30 days after publication of the exam results, an exam review will have to be organized.
Reading list
Stephen E. Gregg and Lynne Scholefield, Engaging with Living Religion: A Guide to Fieldwork in the Study of Religion (London: Routledge, 2015. This book will be the primary textbook used for the course and is available as an e-book via the university library. Additional readings will be made available via Brightspace.
While academic texts will form a core part of our readings, we will also draw on a variety of other (primary) sources to enrich our understanding of the subject matter. These sources will include: films, news media, social media, religious texts, and religious objects.
Registration
Enrolment through MyStudyMap is mandatory.
General information about course and exam enrolment is available on the website.
Contact
For substantive questions, contact the lecturer listed in the right information bar.
For questions about enrolment, admission, etc, contact the Education Administration Office: Herta Mohr.