Syllabus
The aim of the Anthropology of Food and the Art of Ethnographic Practice is to develop fieldwork skills during the field excursion in Český Krumlov, learn how to analyse and interpret ethnographic data and how to write a research report.
To summarize, every student is expected to write a research project in the area of anthropology of food or body and health and carry out an ethnographic fieldwork during the excursion. Subsequently, the findings are going to be analysed during the remaining meetings. The final assignment is to write an essay (around 2500 words), in which students are going to summarize their research findings.
!For the first class: Read Geertz: Thick description! 1. (12. 10.) Introduction to Ethnography; Introduction to the fields of Anthropology of food; body and health reading- compulsory reading: Geertz; Punch, Chapter 3 2. (2. 11.) Ethnography; Semi-structured interview; Study design and development reading- compulsory reading: Punch, pp 150-154; 168-189; selected texts on the topics of food/ body (e.g. from the ones uploaded in Moodle) 3. (26. 11. – 2. 12. 2018) Fieldwork trip to Český Krumlov reading- compulsory reading and tasks: Punch, pp 260-268; Guillemin - Gillam; write a short proposal (around 1-2 standard pages - due 19.11.2018); recommended reading: Oakley; Hammersley-Atkinson 4. (14. 12.) Introduction to qualitative data analysis: Coding and memoing reading- compulsory: Punch, pp 197-204; recommended: Saldaña, pp 1-22, 41-49; code approx. 2 standard pages of your data, ideally partly from participant observation, partly from )can be informal) interview - choose some significant excerpt - upload it until 13.12 12.00. 5. (4. 1. 2019) Ethnographic data interpretation; How to write a qualitative research report reading- compulsory reading: Punch, Chapter 12, upload your second version of coding the same data excerpt - deadline 2.1.2019, 12.00.
Terms of the seminar blocks: 12.10., 2.11., 14.12.2018; 4.1.2019
Term of the fieldwork trip: 26.11. - 2.12.2018
Annotation
Anthropology of food is currently one of the most dynamically developing subdisciplines in the domain of social anthropology. One of the reasons why food studies are so popular is the fact, that food has always played an inherent role in all human societies.
The aim of the course is to offer a general framework of the discipline of social anthropology and to practice fieldwork skills. Even though the course is thematically focused on the problematics of the anthropology of food (body and health), it is useful for all students, who are interested in social anthropology. Moreover, the course intends to prepare students for the Comprehensive Exam in Social Sciences and they read selected texts that are part of the literature of the exam.
The course includes teaching in blocks, seminars and an ethnographic fieldwork practice in Český Krumlov (6 full working days in total/ 7 days altogether including the journey). Students are expected to design their own research projects, which are realized in the following fieldwork trip. Apart from food topics, students may conduct a mini research related to the topics of body or health (supervision of these students is provided by Alzbeta Wolfova). During the first sessions, students are introduced to the theoretical and methodological background of fieldwork, which is taken to praxis in the following trip. During the final sessions, students are introduced to the methods of analysis and are expected to complete the final research report.
Transportation and accommodation in Český Krumlov is fully covered by the financial resources of the course. Students are expected to cover only their dietary expenses.