Workshop II: Qualitative Social Science Methods for Media Studies
MIT's Comparative Media Studies/Writing program offers this workshop on qualitative research methods for studying media. Lectures, class discussions, group exercises, and assignments cover interviewing, participant observation, focus groups, cultural probes, visual sociology, and ethnography, with attention to organizing and analyzing the data these methods produce. Several advanced thematics get dedicated treatment, including research ethics, reciprocity with subjects, the practice of studying up the social ladder rather than down, and managing risk to participants and researchers. The course is hands-on by design: students are expected to practice the techniques directly rather than only read about them, and to come prepared through reading, discussion, and reflection. Course materials are freely available through MIT OpenCourseWare under a Creative Commons license, with no certificate offered.