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February 06, 2005
Possible Project
I'm particularly interested in why comp seizes on literacy ethnographies as a favorite form of qualitative research. I think I'd like to look at the ethnographic studies getting the most play in comp and :
1) Analyze the methods being used
2) Weigh in on why these particular methods appeal to compositionists
3) Measure the methods against the criteria for rigorous qualitative research (Sociology) and ethical qualitative research (Feminism)
4) Opine on what these method choices do for promoting professionalism in the field, which would seem to include investigating profitable uses of mixed qualitative and quantitative methods.
I think it could also be insightful to do all of the above, but as a survey of articles from our major journals (CCC, CE, JAC, Rhet Rev, Research and the Teaching of Eng...) to get a sense of what the discipline does (or doesn't do) with qualitative research, what forms of qualitative methods get used most often, and again, importantly, how the use of these methods shape disciplinary reputation within the academy and in political forums on language and literacy.
Posted by dwinslow at February 6, 2005 05:24 PM
Comments
Dianna,
I really enjoyed Robert Yagelski's Literacy Matters. I don't know if it's getting "a lot of play," but he writes about divergent settings in which literacy and teaching writing intersect (prison, community college, etc).
Posted by: TR at February 6, 2005 05:44 PM
Thanks, Ty; I'll check that out.
Posted by: di at February 6, 2005 05:55 PM
A pretty darned interesting research question. Probably will turn out to be unanswerable, but definitely worth investigating. Important that you investigate it historically. One way would be chronologically, looking at sample texts over a period of time. Another would be synchronically, looking at a buncha texts from a contained period.
Yet another would be to follow the evolving ethnographic methods of one or more selected compositionists.
Do you have the expertise to make your #3 move, "Measure the methods against the criteria for rigorous qualitative research (Sociology) and ethical qualitative research (Feminism)"?
It would be enough for this course to do the #1 move.
Some potentially interesting texts to look at if you're taking a chronological approach:
Heath, Shirley Brice. Ways with Words: Language, Life and Work in Communities and Classrooms. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1983. (and be sure to ask Elisa if she'll share her critique of this text!)
Brandt, Deborah. Literacy in American Lives. Cambridge UP, 2001.
Posted by: senioritis at February 6, 2005 07:38 PM
Sounds like you and I have related project interests.
clo
Posted by: clo at February 6, 2005 08:19 PM
I like your idea to invwestigate this over time, as well as looking at the evolving work of one three folks' work comp is particularly keen about--which do you think would be more productive? I like Shirley Brice Heath and Deborah Brandt...maybe Ellen Cushman's _The Struggle and the Tools_? Was Emig one of the first? Writing this I realize that I haven't really looked specifically at who's done ethnographies in comp, nor have I thought about building a list of readings in a specific genre of comp like ethnography.
I agree that #1 is doable...and I think moves 2 and 4 will likely get touched on in the process....as for 3, well, my idea was to apply some of the info and familiarity I am gaining taking Prema Kurien's Qual. Meth. class this semester, as well as drawing on _Feminist Ethics in Research_...a text I've wanted to read for awhile now. In a sense, a least feel my way around the things I'm learning by comparing the ideas to what these comp ethnographers are doing. Whaddaya think?
Posted by: Di at February 6, 2005 09:18 PM