Research Seminar "Economy of the City: Ethnographic Research" (2024/2025 academic year)

2024/2025

Academic Year

ENG

Instruction in English

3

ECTS credits

Delivered at:

Department of Sociology

Course type:

Elective course

When:

4 year, 1-3 module

Instructors

Balatsyuk, Elizaveta

Epanova, Yulia

Kresnikova, Elizaveta

Krupets, Yana

Course Syllabus

Abstract

The following research seminar is focused on the sociological study of everyday economic practices and sites that you can find in a modern city (for example, different types and sites of consumption, practices of the informal economy, creative economic projects, etc.). In this course we would like to combine two research areas: economic sociology and urban studies. The course is aimed, on the one hand, at analyzing the modern urban economy, and on the other hand, at mastering the skills of conducting ethnographic research. The first module will focus on reading key texts from the field of sociological studies of urban economics. The second module will discuss in detail the specifics of ethnographic research methodology. Modules three and four will focus on an empirical research project.

Learning Objectives

• The aim of the course is to enhance students' knowledge in the field of economic sociology and urban studies, as well as to develop their skills in ethnographic research of economic practices in a modern metropolis.

Expected Learning Outcomes

• The student knows the basics of the sociological approach to studying the economy in the city
• The student knows how to properly conduct ethnographic research
• The student can organize and conduct fieldwork - collect empirical data and create a database
• The student is able to analyze qualitative data
• The student can write an analytical report
• The student is able to present the results of the analysis

Course Contents

• 1. Reading club
• 2. Urban ethnography
• 3. Fieldwork
• 4. Analysis

Assessment Elements

• Reading
  Reading key texts on the relevant topics and creating content maps/diagrams of the sources
• Research Design
  The students in small research teams develop the design of the ethnographic research
• Data collection
  The collection of the empirical data and the formation of the data set.
• Data Analysis
  To conduct the analysis of the data, to prepare the report and the presentation of the results

Interim Assessment

• 2024/2025 3rd module
  0.3 * Data Analysis + 0.3 * Data collection + 0.2 * Reading + 0.2 * Research Design

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

• Aspers, P., & Dodd, N. (2015). Re-Imagining Economic Sociology. Oxford: OUP Oxford. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1200997
• Doing ethnography, Gobo, G., 2010
• Duneier, M., Kasinitz, P., & Murphy, A. K. (2014). The Urban Ethnography Reader. New York City: Oxford University Press. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=675768
• Elliot, A., Norum, R., & Salazar, N. B. (2017). Methodologies of Mobility : Ethnography and Experiment. New York: Berghahn Books. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1369588
• Hammersley, M., & Atkinson, P. (2019). Ethnography : Principles in Practice (Vol. Fourth edition). Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=2102503
• Rukmini, S. (2017). Academic Research Writing: An Overview and Process. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsbas&AN=edsbas.7CED46CD
• The Sage handbook of new urban studies, , 2017
• The SAGE handbook of new urban studies. (2017). Sage. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsnar&AN=edsnar.oai.pure.buas.nl.publications.39995f50.7d44.4ea4.b4d6.bab1adbd77be
• van Nes, A. and Yamu, C., 2021. Introduction to Space Syntax in Urban Studies. Cham: Springer International Publishing.

Recommended Additional Bibliography

• Beckert, J., & Dewey, M. (2017). The Architecture of Illegal Markets : Towards an Economic Sociology of Illegality in the Economy. Oxford: OUP Oxford. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1561435
• Ethnography and virtual worlds : a handbook of method, Boellstorff, T., 2012
• Imbroscio, D. L., & Davies, J. S. (2010). Critical Urban Studies : New Directions. Albany: State University of New York Press. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=343793
• International encyclopedia of economic sociology, , 2006
• Robin M. Boylorn, & Mark P. Orbe. (2014). Critical Autoethnography : Intersecting Cultural Identities in Everyday Life. Routledge.
• The economic sociology of capitalism, , 2005
• The Handbook of economic sociology, , 2005
• Tittenbrun, J. (2011). Economy in Society : Economic Sociology Revisited. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=524366

Authors

• EPANOVA YULIYA VALENTINOVNA
• KRUPETS Iana NIKOLAEVNA
• Ильина Мария Ивановна