CHED 0662 - Ethnographic Research: Tools for Reading Social Context

“I wish I understand the people!” Have you uttered this in exasperation? Can we really know people and their contexts at a deeper level? Are there tools to “exegete” a community or parish, a kind of cultural hermeneutic? If you struggle with these important questions, this course is for you. Ethnographic research aims to equip you to “read” people in their contexts reliably and accurately. If contextualized ministry is being accountable to the hermeneutical obligations of the gospel, contextual analysis is fundamental to all Christian work. We will learn basic skills of observation, in-depth interviewing, data analysis and the preparation of instruments for testing generalizations in larger or contrasting settings. The basic aim of this course is to facilitate the ability to carry out field research in the style, form and discipline of anthropological inquiry. Offered annually.

Prerequisites
None