CC 601

Qual Fieldwork in Deviance

This advanced qualitative methodology course offers students an in-depth look at conducting field research into the study of deviance. This course begins by introducing students to the interconnection of epistemology, ontology and methodology. While largely a course on methodology students will be responsible for understanding theories of deviance and their relation to qualitative research. Specific attention is accorded to field research (i.e. observation, participant observation, ethnography, and in-depth interviewing). Topics covered in this advanced course include: ethical concerns with studying deviance and deviant subcultures, ethics of field work, collecting fieldwork data and analyzing qualitative data. Specifically students will learn in-depth interviewing and participant- observation techniques, content analysis, grounded theory analysis and,if possible, computer assisted qualitative data analysis. This is a hands-on course that will require students to design and undertake a qualitative study into an area of deviance. Through this process students will learn how to create a "doable" research question, undertake an ethics review process, collect and analyze qualitative data.