SUBJECT

Qualitative research methods

seminar

master

Faculty of Social Sciences

Ethnic and Minority Policy MA

5

Semester 2

Spring semester

The course aims to discuss theoretical issues and practical details of qualitative research methods applied in social sciences, particularly in social psychology. The class will be based on discussing a set of classical and contemporary readings in qualitative methods. As a starting point we will analyze some conceptual and historical issues regarding qualitative research methods. Then, we will discuss a set of theoretical perspectives, such as discourse analysis, grounded theory, discursive psychology, and narrative psychology. Finally, we will discuss in detail some procedure of qualitative research: participant observation, creating and analyzing transcriptions, computer aided discourse analysis, various interview techniques, visual analysis, etc. Parallel to working on the assigned readings, the students will be involved in some micro-project where practical issues concerning qualitative research are to be faced with.

• Denzin, N. K. and Lincoln, Y. S. (eds.): Handbook of Qualitative Research. Sage, London, 1994, 2000.
• Hayers, N. (ed.): Doing Qualitative Analysis in Psychology. Psychology Press, Hove, 1997.
• Silverman, D.(ed.): Qualitative Research: Theory, Method and Practice. Sage, London, 1997.
• Smith J. A., Harré, R and Van Langenhove, L. (eds.): Rethinking Methods in Psychology. Sage, Thousand Oaks, 1995.
• David Silverman: Doing qualitative research. Sage, London, 2010.