This course will provide students with basic methods needed to conduct independent field research on music/dance and discussion of issues of particular importance in conducting fieldwork today. Over the semester, course participants will learn how to do participant-observation, ethnographic interviews, field notes, field recordings, and documentation both in-person and virtually, and they will consider thorny questions about ethics, postcolonial contexts, and the politics of representation. Given the current context, special emphasis will be given to online research on popular music. Students will conduct their own small projects in local or online communities, gaining practice in the above techniques while trying out different fieldwork technologies. All students will be encouraged to think through the planning of a fieldwork project “at home,” while students wishing to pursue longer-term field research can receive additional guidance on how to plan for and develop an original fieldwork project. Course materials and discussions will take place in English and German; students should be comfortable with English but can choose to submit work and participate in class in either language.
- Kursverantwortliche/r: Prof. Dr. Sydney Hutchinson