Admission requirements
Advanced level in Spanish (C1-C2).
Students with an advanced knowledge of Brazilian Portuguese and a passive knowledge (reading and oral comprehension) of Spanish will be accepted.
Description
This methodological course will guide students through the first steps of the introductory phase of their research. The focus will be specifically on the Latin American context and the selection and definition of a study object within the area of cultural analysis. The objective of this course is to offer insight into basic methodologies and to guide students in the construction of their reseach proposal.
The first part of the course will be shared with the course Methods 1: Fieldwork. In this first practical block the focus will be on the formulation of a research questions, objectives, a hypothesis and the state of the arts. The whole team of lectures will contribute to the orientation of the research proposal of each student and at the beginning of the course an overview of research topics of our team will be presented.
The second block will consist of assignments practicing the use of methodological tools for those who are preparing their thesis in cultural analysis or literature. Students will learn to apply methods specifically for discourse analysis, social semiotics and cultural studies in order to analyze a cultural object within a specific context.
Course objectives
- Exploring methodologies and techniques that are necessary for conducting a qualitative research project.
- Identifying methodological tools for carrying out a cultural analysis.
- Giving academic presentations
- Developing the ability to explain the individual investigation.
- Choose the appropriate methodologies in relation to the object of analysis and acquiring the ability to interpret and formulate suitable research questions with relation to Latin America.
Timetable
Mode of instruction
Students will be working in small groups. Later on in the course each students individually will be expected to prepare a research proposal which will form the basis for the investigation that the student will conduct in the second year.
Course Load
10 EC = 280 hours in total.
Hours in class: 28 hours
Hours of reading mandatory bibliography: 80 hours
Hours of making assignments and preparing classes: 80 hours
Hours for writing paper (including reading and investigation): 92 hours
Assessment method
This course will have four assessment moments:
Two assignments in which the student demonstrate their knowledge of two methodologies (40%)
Presentation (20%)
Research proposal (40%)
The final mark for the course is established by determining the weighted average, in order to pass the course students must obtain at least a 6.0 for the research proposal.
The resit will be an improved version of the research proposal.
Blackboard
Blackboard will be used for:
- providing study materials
Reading list
To be announced in the first class.
Registration
Students need to register in for classes, exams and final papers through uSis
General information about uSis is available in English and Dutch
Registration Studeren à la carte and Contractonderwijs
Not applicable
Contact
For questions about the content of the course, you can contact the teacher:
Dr. N. Timmer
Coordinator of Studies: M.A.G. van Leeuwen MA
Administrations Office: van Wijkplaats
Remarks
Compulsory presence at lectures. Students can be absent for no more than three classes. In case of excessive absences the teacher is authorized to impose extra assignments.