New Page 1

Goals. This course is designed to support the students' carrying out and writing up their Sao Paulo field research on aspects of Brazilian society, which will be supervised by the instructor. Each student will do research in a particular setting arranged in consultation and by arrangement with Term Abroad Director Martha Huggins and Associacao Alumni International Programs Director Caio Cardoso.

Attendance and Submissions. For seven weeks the class will meet up to twice a week for up to two hours apiece. Some class time will be freed in October for field work, archival research, and report-writing.

Class attendance is mandatory for the full meeting time. A maximum of two excused absences can be allowed, but only with prior approval by the instructor. Absences because of unanticipated emergencies must be fully justified to the instructor, otherwise they will be counted as unexcused.

Since the field work and research report must be completed before leaving Sao Paulo, all preliminary field notes and papers, and final paper (due 11/2), must be submitted on due dates. Papers and field notes late without adequate explanation will lose 10% of the grade for each day late, and none will be accepted after the third day, and no final paper may be late.

Students will be expected to meet with the instructor individually as scheduled in the course outline. Other meetings can be arranged at mutual convenience as needed.

Grading. The final grade in the course will be the sum of

(a) class participation (graded for each session, to total 25%),

(b) fieldwork notes (graded in progress; 25% altogether),

(c) final research paper (50%). Where useful, grades will be given on preliminary drafts submitted, but these grades will be superseded by the final paper's grade.

(d) brief quizzes may be given (5% apiece, reducing the proportion of the final grade based on participation, field notes, and final paper). But there will be no formal examinations in the course.

Field Notes. Each student will keep field notes (see Field Notes Format page), beginning as soon as s/he goes out to explore possibilities for the field site, which s/he should try to do even before the first class meeting. Field notes will include observations, conversations, interviews, questionnaires, and documents, including those related to setting up and arranging for the fieldwork. They should be completed for each day of fieldwork and related activities, and are to be submitted at the next class meeting. If needed for the student's ongoing fieldwork, a photocopy for the student's own use should be made of submitted materials, which will not be returned until the next class meeting.

(EdDisk: BrzlUnFldWk145901.doc)

Union&Hob.&Wm.Smith Brazil Term Abroad Fall2001, Soc.145:FieldWork, Willison

Field Notes Format

Keep your fieldwork notes in the following form:

Date: Arrival Time: Location (describe precisely; put map on back):

Participants (list, with description):

2. 3.

3. 5.

6. etc.

Time: Events:

(Describe in detail, including conversations and other verbal and vocal

behavior, eye contact, facial expressions, gestures, and other body

language, movement across location, etc. Include preparation for,

arrangements with, and location of fieldwork sites, as well as the finding

of documentary and other materials, and the composing and distributing of

questionnaires and setting up their distribution, along with any interviews,

interview arrangements, and interview schedules (lists of questions).)

etc.

(EdDisk: BrzlUnFldWk145901.doc)

Union & Hobart & Wm.Smith Brazil Term Abroad Fall2001, Soc.145: FieldWork,

Schedule

For 9/18: Write: one-page statement of research problem and expected field

location(s) for discussion, and prepare 2 copies of first week's field notes

(observations, interviews, etc. See "Field Notes Format")

Read for class discussion:

Ian Robertson, "A Research Model," Sociology (1987) (handout);

Diane Kholos Wysocki, intro. to ch. 2,"Combining Theory with

Research Questions" Readings in Social Research Methods (2001) (handout);

David Hess, Introduction to The Brazilian Puzzle, Hess and Roberto DaMatta, eds. (1995) (handout);

Roberto DaMatta, "For an Anthropology of the Brazilian Tradition or 'A Virtude esta no Meio'," Brazilian Puzzle (handout).

9/18 Field Research : A model for organizing and structuring research, and drawing out its theoretical significance: Submit copy of statement of research problem and placement, and field notes. Clarify fieldwork proposals: Students each explain their research topic to other

For 9/20: Prepare 2 copies of fieldwork notes so far. Read for discussion:

Robertson, "Basic Research Methods," Sociology (handout); Wm. L. Yancey and Lee Rainwater, "Problems in the Ethnography of the Urban Underclasses," Pathways to Data: Field Methods for Studying Ongoing Social Organizations, Robert Habenstein, ed. (1970) (handout); Robert Levine, "How Brazil Works," The Brazil Reader (1999) (handout).

9/20 Field Research:

A. Some methods of data collection: (1) survey (interview, ques tionnaire--self- or researcher-administered,face-to-face or telephone or mail or email), (2) observation (participant experience vs. non-participant), (3) existing materials (documents, reports, flyers, etc.).

B. Methods for organizing the collection and analysis of data: case study, longitudinal and comparative research, experiment, life experience, verstehen, etc. Submit one copy of field notes. Discuss: Field work experience to date. Categorize and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each student's research methods used so far and/or contemplated, or suggested by others.

For 9/25: Write statement on the significance of proposed research. Read for discussion: Sandra Rodrigues and Martha Huggins, "Working Kids on Sao Paulo's Paulista Avenue" (2000) (Soc.144 reading packet); Andy Markowski, "Ethnography of a Library Reading Room" (l996) (handout).

9/25 Field Research: How to do it Submit statement on significance of research plus one copy of new field notes.Class exercise: Practice field work--all students investigate and take notes on the same setting: Associacao Alumni Library reading room, for forty minutes. Meet in class to read students' notes to one another for comparing and discussing observations, notes, and reading.

For 9/27: Read for discussion:

Robert Habenstein, "The Research Problem of Access, Questions,

Events, Subgroupings, …", etc., from "Introduction," Pathways

to Data (handout);

Ben Parker, "Life on the Streets: The Informal Economy in Sao

Paulo, Brazil" (l999).

9/27 Field Research: Overcoming obstacles

Submit one copy of new field notes.

Report on field work to class, and relate it to reading.

For 10/2: Write first five pages of field work paper, explaining theory and

assumptions, hypotheses and predictions, literature read so far

(incl. class assignments), and report on initial field work.

Read for discussion:

Robertson, "Research Ethics," Sociology (handout);

Wysocki, intro. to ch. 3, "Ethics," Readings in Social Research

Methods (2001).

10/2 Ethics of Research: To whom are you responsible? Boundaries and responsibilities,

secrecy and getting out the story

Submit research paper and one copy of new field notes.

Discuss ethical considerations raised in student's own and others' field work.

For 10/4: Prepare bibliography of printed/published/internet/other sources on the

topic, including five sources collected since arriving in Brazil.

Union&Hob.&Wm.Smith Brazil Term Abroad Fall2001, Soc.145:FieldWork, Willison

Schedule (cont.)

10/4 Existing Sources: Use, abuse, and expansion of existing materials to back up field

research

Submit bibliography.

Discuss actual and possible sources of pre-existing information

For 10/9: Expand research report in the light of accumulating field research,

existing sources, and instructor's and others' critiques.

For week of 10/15-19: Make appointment to meet with instructor about paper.

10/9 Expanded paper due.

10/11 Paper returned

For 10/23: Revise research paper.

10/15-19 Appointment with instructor about research and paper.

10/23, 25 Field Research reports

Submit revised research paper draft.

Brief presentation of paper for critique by class.

10/29-31 Appointment as desired with instructor.

For 11/2 Prepare final draft of research report.

11/2 Final Research Paper due.

(EdDisk: BrzlUnFldWk145901.doc)