Course Syllabus

Export

Il corso mette a disposizione degli/delle studenti/esse concetti e categorie sociologiche, metodi e tecniche di ricerca essenziali per produrre un’analisi sociologica in chiave qualitativa di fenomeni attinenti sia la realtà materiale che virtuale. In tal senso, obiettivo primo è sensibilizzare ai presupposti epistemologici e metodologici della ricerca qualitativa e, di conseguenza, rendere gli/le studenti/esse in grado di: affrontare in modo autonomo problemi e questioni di natura sociale e culturale; costruire un disegno di ricerca; analizzare materiale empirico di varia natura; comunicare i risultati della ricerca.

Attraverso discussioni e lavori di gruppo ed individuali in classe (o facoltativamente a casa) – il corso approfondisce e mette in relazione approcci sociologici a metodi e tecniche di ricerca e d’analisi qualitativa, muovendo dalla identificazione di questioni sociologiche (sia riguardo la realtà fisica, che quella virtuale e le loro interconnessioni), e dalla costruzione degli strumenti di indagine più idonei fino alla raccolta, codifica e analisi di dati empirici di varia natura.

Il corso è strutturato in tre parti che verranno condotte in modo alternato durante il corso.
La prima si concentra sui presupposti epistemologici, teorici e metodologici della ricerca sociale, guardando alle connessioni possibili tra le dimensioni micro-meso-macro nella riflessione e prassi sociologica. Si farà qui riferimento in particolare agli approcci interpretativo, interazionista, fenomenologico-costruttivista e alla Field theory.
La seconda si concentra sulla definizione del disegno di ricerca, guardando all’interdipendenza tra quadro concettuale, metodi e tecniche d’indagine e metodi e tecniche d’analisi qualitativa (o basata su mixed methods). Per quanto riguarda i metodi e le tecniche d’indagine particolare attenzione verrà data: alle interviste narrative, al focus group e alla etnografia digitale. Rispetto ai metodi e alle tecniche d’analisi verranno trattati principalmente: l’analisi tematica; la grounded theory, l’analisi fenomenologica interpretativa (IPA), l’analisi narrativa, la field analysis, la frame analysis, il metodo documentario interpretativo (DMI) e gli embodied research methods e i metodi visuali.
Nella terza parte verranno svolti lavori di gruppo ed esercizi sulla base dei metodi e tecniche di ricerca di cui sopra. Verranno inoltre discusse e messe in opera strategie di scrittura e comunicazione scientifica.

Buona conoscenza delle teorie sociologiche, dei concetti e delle categorie chiave della sociologia e dei primi strumenti e tecniche di ricerca sociale

Si privilegeranno lezioni idi carattere interattivo, basate sulla presentazione di materiale empirico e case studies da analizzare e discutere assieme al docente, alternate a lezioni di carattere seminariale e a lavori di gruppo. In modo cadenzato verranno proposti momenti di presentazione da parte degli studenti dei lavori svolti in classe o a casa (questi ultimi facoltativi).

Verifica scritta per i non frequentanti, ossia per coloro che non hanno potuto partecipare alle esercitazioni proposte e la loro relativa presentazione a lezione.
Per i frequentanti, l’insieme di esercitazioni svolte verrà valutato ai fini dell’esame in termini aggiuntivi rispetto alla prova conclusiva. A scelta, lo/la studente/ssa frequentante può scegliere tra la prova scritta o la presentazione di un report di ricerca, anche svolto collettivamente, da inviare due giorni prima della relativa discussione orale in sede d’esame.

I testi di riferimento del corso sono disponibili nella pagina e-learning del corso.
Indice:

  • Savage, M. and Silva, B. Elizabeth (2013), Field Analysis in Cultural Sociology. Cultural Sociology 7(2): 111-126.
  • Curry, W.L. & Seddon, J. (2022), Stakes, positions and logics: An institutional field analysis of cross-border health IT policy. Journal of Information Technology 37(2): 165-187.
  • Smithson J. (2007), Focus groups. In P. Alasuutari (ed.), Social Research Methods (pp. 356-371). London: Sage Handbook.
  • Halkier, B. (2010), Focus groups as social enactments: integrating interaction and content in the analysis of focus group data. Qualitative Research 10(1): 71-89.
  • Tie Y. C., Birks, M., & Francis, K. (2019), Grounded theory research: A design framework for novice researchers, Sage Open Medicine, 7: 1-8.
  • Bowen, G.A. (2006) Grounded Theory and sensitizing concepts. International Journal of Qualitative Methods 5(3): 12-23.
  • Millikane, P.J. (2012). Examining the nexus between Grounded Theory and Symbolic interactionism. International Journal of Qualitative Methods 11(5): 684-696.
  • Floersch, J. & Longhofer, J.L. (2010), Integrating thematic, grounded theory and narrative analysis. Qualitative social work 9(3): 407-425.
  • Nasheeda, A. et al. (2019), Transforming transcripts into stories: a multimethod approach to narrative analysis. International Journal of Qualitative Methods 18: 1-9.
  • De Fina, A. & Georgakoupolou, A. (2008), Analysing narratives as practices. Qualitative Research 8(3): 379-387.
  • Philipps, A. & Mrowczynski, R. (2021), Getting more out of interviews. Understanding interviewees’ accounts in relation to their frames of orientation. Qualitative Research 21(1): 59-75.
  • Bartoli, A. (2020), Every picture tells a story: combining interpretative phenomenological analysis with visual research. Qualitative Research 19(5-6): 1007-1021.
  • Todres, L. & Galvin, K.T. (2008), Embodied interpretation: a novel way of evocatively representing meaning in phenomenological research. Qualitative Research 8(5): 568-583.
  • Chadville, R. (2017), Embodied methodologies: challenges, reflections and strategies. Qualitative Research, 17(1): 54-74.
  • Engelsrud, G. (2005), The lived body as experience and perspective: methodological challenges. Qualitative Research 5(3): 267-284.
  • Mason, J. (2006). Mixing Methods in a qualitatively driven way. Qualitative Research 6(1): 9-25.
  • Koenig, T. (2006), Compounding mixed-methods problems in frame analysis through comparative research. Qualitative Research 6(1): 61-76.
  • Hood, M.M. (2021), Instagram versus reality: the design and use of self-curated photo elicitation in a study exploring the construction of Scottish identity amongst personal style influencers on Instagram. Qualitative Research 21(6): 865-889.
  • Venturini, T. et al. (2018), A reality check(list) for digital methods. New media & Society 20(11): 4195-4217.
  • Cottica, A. et al. (2020), Semantic social networks: A Mixed Methods Approach to digital ethnography. Field methods
  • Ruppert, E. et al. (2013), Reassembling social science methods: the challenge of digital devices. Theory, culture & society 30(4): 22-46.32(3): 274-290.
  • Lupton, D. (2015), Digital sociology. London&New York: Routledge. (cap. 8, ‘The digitized body/self’: 164-187)
ISTRUZIONE DI QUALITÁ
Export

The course aims to offer the essential conceptual tools to construct a qualitative analysis of social phenomena concerning both the material and virtual reality, as well as to provide a guide to the related research methods and techniques. Its main goal is to raise awareness of some crucial epistemological and methodological presuppositions of qualitative social research, by making students able to face socio-cultural questions and problems, project a research design, analyze empirical data of various kinds and communicate the research outputs.

The course aims at strengthening the interdependence between some sociological approaches and qualitative research and analysis techniques and methods by tutorials and group works. By departing from the identification of sociological questions regarding the virtual and material reality and their interconnections, the students will learn to identify the more idoneous research tools, collecting, coding and analyzing empirical data of various kinds.

The course is divided into three parts.

The first part explores the epistemological, theoretical, and methodological premises of a qualitative social research, looking at the micro, meso, and macro levels of social analysis together. Particular attention will be paid to the interpretative, interactionist, and phenomenological-constructivist approaches, as well as to the field theory.
The second one focuses on the building of a research design based on the interdependence among a conceptual framework, qualitative research and analysis methods and techniques (as well as mixed methods). As regards research techniques, special attention will be given to narrative interviews, focus groups, digital ethnography, and multimodal digital storytelling, while among analysis techniques and methods more attention will be paid to the thematic analysis, the grounded theory, the interpretative phenomenological analysis, the narrative analysis, the field analysis, the frame analysis, the documentary method of interpretation, the embodied research methods, and the visual methods.
In the third parts the students will participate in group works and tutorials making use of the methods and techniques discussed. Furthermore, strategies in analysis and scientific writing and communication will be discussed.

A good knowledge of sociological theories and concepts, and of the main tools of the social science research

Interactive lessons; seminars; group works; tutorials; research reports by the students attending the lessons.

Written exam for non attending students, that is students who do not participate in group works and do not present research reports.

Students attending the lessons may choose between the written exam and writing a research report (individually or in group). The research report should be sent up to two days before the oral presentation during the exam.

The texts will be available in the website of the teaching course

Index:

  • Savage, M. and Silva, B. Elizabeth (2013), Field Analysis in Cultural Sociology. Cultural Sociology 7(2): 111-126.
  • Curry, W.L. & Seddon, J. (2022), Stakes, positions and logics: An institutional field analysis of cross-border health IT policy. Journal of Information Technology 37(2): 165-187.
  • Smithson J. (2007), Focus groups. In P. Alasuutari (ed.), Social Research Methods (pp. 356-371). London: Sage Handbook.
  • Halkier, B. (2010), Focus groups as social enactments: integrating interaction and content in the analysis of focus group data. Qualitative Research 10(1): 71-89.
  • Tie Y. C., Birks, M., & Francis, K. (2019), Grounded theory research: A design framework for novice researchers, Sage Open Medicine, 7: 1-8.
  • Bowen, G.A. (2006) Grounded Theory and sensitizing concepts. International Journal of Qualitative Methods 5(3): 12-23.
  • Millikane, P.J. (2012). Examining the nexus between Grounded Theory and Symbolic interactionism. International Journal of Qualitative Methods 11(5): 684-696.
  • Floersch, J. & Longhofer, J.L. (2010), Integrating thematic, grounded theory and narrative analysis. Qualitative social work 9(3): 407-425.
  • Nasheeda, A. et al. (2019), Transforming transcripts into stories: a multimethod approach to narrative analysis. International Journal of Qualitative Methods 18: 1-9.
  • De Fina, A. & Georgakoupolou, A. (2008), Analysing narratives as practices. Qualitative Research 8(3): 379-387.
  • Philipps, A. & Mrowczynski, R. (2021), Getting more out of interviews. Understanding interviewees’ accounts in relation to their frames of orientation. Qualitative Research 21(1): 59-75.
  • Bartoli, A. (2020), Every picture tells a story: combining interpretative phenomenological analysis with visual research. Qualitative Research 19(5-6): 1007-1021.
  • Todres, L. & Galvin, K.T. (2008), Embodied interpretation: a novel way of evocatively representing meaning in phenomenological research. Qualitative Research 8(5): 568-583.
  • Chadville, R. (2017), Embodied methodologies: challenges, reflections and strategies. Qualitative Research, 17(1): 54-74.
  • Engelsrud, G. (2005), The lived body as experience and perspective: methodological challenges. Qualitative Research 5(3): 267-284.
  • Mason, J. (2006). Mixing Methods in a qualitatively driven way. Qualitative Research 6(1): 9-25.
  • Koenig, T. (2006), Compounding mixed-methods problems in frame analysis through comparative research. Qualitative Research 6(1): 61-76.
  • Hood, M.M. (2021), Instagram versus reality: the design and use of self-curated photo elicitation in a study exploring the construction of Scottish identity amongst personal style influencers on Instagram. Qualitative Research 21(6): 865-889.
  • Venturini, T. et al. (2018), A reality check(list) for digital methods. New media & Society 20(11): 4195-4217.
  • Cottica, A. et al. (2020), Semantic social networks: A Mixed Methods Approach to digital ethnography. Field methods 32(3): 274-290.
  • Ruppert, E. et al. (2013), Reassembling social science methods: the challenge of digital devices. Theory, culture & society 30(4): 22-46.
  • Lupton, D. (2015), Digital sociology. London&New York: Routledge. (chapter 8, ‘The digitized body/self’: 164-187)
QUALITY EDUCATION
Enter

Key information

Field of research
SPS/08
ECTS
8
Term
Second semester
Activity type
Mandatory
Course Length (Hours)
56
Degree Course Type
2-year Master Degreee
Language
Italian

Staff

    Teacher

  • BG
    Barbara Grüning

Students' opinion

View previous A.Y. opinion

Bibliography

Find the books for this course in the Library

Enrolment methods

Manual enrolments
Self enrolment (Student)

Sustainable Development Goals

QUALITY EDUCATION - Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all