Admission requirements
This course is for BA African studies students in their first year.
Description
In this course, students of the BA African Studies will be introduced to the practice of research in Africa, and in particular, how Africanist scholars are using ethnography to study connectivity with and within Africa. Students will learn methods and techniques commonly used in contemporary ethnographic research practice in African Studies, including interviewing, participant observation, alongside other methods and techniques, and learn about thematic, content analysis. They will also learn about reflexivity and use it to explore issues related to positionality, ethics and emotions in their own areas of interest, asking how they relate themselves to debates about epistemology in Africanist research. Finally, students will learn how to present academic research findings for a range of expert and non-expert audiences, both orally and in written format.
Through concrete examples from various studies and publications presented in the literature and in class, as well as through practical assignments in and outside class, students will learn about, reflect upon and experiment with a range of methodological aspects. The assignments build up to a small, step by step, individual ethnographic research project, in which students develop their own project related to one of two themes inspired by connectivity; namely African heritage or Entrepreneurship and Development.
Throughout the course, special attention will be given to developing ethnographic sensibilities and the use of digital, audio-visual tools in Africanist, ethnographic research and in the presentation of research findings. In this way, the course helps to prepare students for future fieldwork research in or connected with Africa.
Course objectives
After this course, students will:
**Knowledge and insight: **
have become acquainted with a range of current, ethnographical approaches in the field of African studies;
have gained knowledge about current debates about and the actual production of academic knowledge about Africa in African Studies;
have gained insight about some of the recent developments related to methodology in the study of Africa, particularly concerning digital and visual extensions and innovations;
have gained knowledge about specific themes and concepts in research in Africa;
**Skills: **
be able to find and use scientific literature to develop a clear, well defined problem statement and research question;
be able to carry out a small, empirical research project, selecting and using a variety of relevant (ethnographic) research methods, being able to explain and justify the selection and use;
have developed (ethnographic) sensibilities, particularly concerning researchers’ positionalities, ethics and emotions involved in field research;
have gained experience with thematic, content analysis of research findings;
have gained experience in oral presentations using digital/visual tools to support the presentation of research plans and findings;
actively participate in in-class academic debates related to research in Africa;
give and receive constructive feedback.
Timetable
The timetables are avalable through My Timetable.
Mode of instruction
Seminar
Assessment method
Assessment
Participation in class and class-assignments: 25%
Poster presentation of research project (mid-way): 25%
Final research product (blog accompanied by reflection on methodology) and presentation: 50%
Weighing
The final mark for the course is established by determining the weighted average.
Resit
In case the sub-assignments and/or final product are not sufficient, students can take one resit for each of the subtests. The resubmission date will be decided upon together.
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
The compulsary and recommended list of literature and where to purchase or find it, will be disclosed on Brightspace.
Registration
Enrolment through MyStudyMap is mandatory.
Registration Studeren à la carte en Contractonderwijs
Registration Studeren à la carte.
Registration Contractonderwijs.
Contact
For substantive questions, contact the lecturer listed in the right information bar.
For questions about enrolment, admission, etc, contact the Education Administration Office: Reuvensplaats
Remarks
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