General information

• Study points: 8.00
• Language: English
• Category: Seminars
• Duration: 52.0 hours 
• Periodicity: This is a full-year course, lasting two semesters
• POC: POC Antropologie

Taught by

Cassiman Ann

Aims

<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Cambria;
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-parent:"";
margin-top:0cm;
margin-right:0cm;
margin-bottom:10.0pt;
margin-left:0cm;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-ansi-language:NL;}
@page Section1
{size:612.0pt 792.0pt;
margin:72.0pt 90.0pt 72.0pt 90.0pt;
mso-header-margin:36.0pt;
mso-footer-margin:36.0pt;
mso-paper-source:0;}
div.Section1
{page:Section1;}
-->During this research seminar students are expected to gain competences necessary to set up a coherent research plan and to critically carry out in-depth research concerning given development issues and from a culturally sensitive perspective. Organized as an interdisciplinary team, students explore a specific theme, analyze and assess its theoretical and
practical context, the interdisciplinary and anthropological literature
concerning the topic, and develop a culture-sensitive research project which they present to a jury of experts.



 

Content

<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Cambria;
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-parent:"";
margin-top:0cm;
margin-right:0cm;
margin-bottom:10.0pt;
margin-left:0cm;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-ansi-language:NL;}
@page Section1
{size:595.0pt 842.0pt;
margin:72.0pt 90.0pt 72.0pt 90.0pt;
mso-header-margin:35.4pt;
mso-footer-margin:35.4pt;
mso-paper-source:0;}
div.Section1
{page:Section1;}
-->The seminar focuses on a theme that may change annually: health, agriculture, knowledge, built environment, capitalist market, civil society, community organizations, the internet, microfinance, etc. In small groups and under the supervision of group tutors, the students will set up critical in-depth research concerning a designated theme and explore if and
which project could be a culturally sensitive answer to the issues raised. The final research results are formally presented to a panel of experts in the (development) field and/or on the project topic.

Course Material

Articles and literature
Examples and samples
Toledo / e-platform

Course activities

- Students actively participate during the seminar
- Students actively search for information on the region, theme, theoretical issues at stake in the project
- Students perform tasks: the critical reading and analysis of interdisciplinary and anthropological texts, distilling arguments from the texts to use in the group work, summarizing the relevant arguments for the proposal
- Students write out a research report in which they clearly argue the different options chosen and critically analyze their own theoretical and practical approach of the problems and the proposed solutions
- In a group process, students learn to cooperate, learn how to come to a consensus in oral debates as well as in the written output of the project.
- Students coherently and clearly present group work results to the larger student group during classes and in a final presentation to a panel of invited resource persons who act as a jury (and deliberation commission).

Evaluation description

Examination type:
    oral with written preparation
    written
When?: continuous evaluation
Evaluation type:
    Paper
    Presentation

Explanation

Evaluation type:
paper and presentation
 
Assessment:
The group research projects, which students work on
collaboratively throughout the course, are collectively graded by two methods:
(1) Group Presentation (25% of mark) – a 30 minute presentation made collectively by each group to colleagues, tutors and external jury members about the group’s research project, with both research content and presentation skills being assessed;
(2) Group Research Report (75% of mark) – a 20.000 word written report prepared collectively by each group to be submitted end of March 2012 (date to be defined) to the CADES administrative co-ordinator Sylvia Tutenel (SW B 01.157).
This collective grade consists of 14 out of the 20 points.
Each student’s efforts, contributions and work is valorised with an individual weighted score. This consists of 6 out of the 20 points. The individual grade is determined by the group tutor, in a deliberation with the course coordinator, and can differ maximum 2 points from the collective score.
 
Apart from the formal end-evaluation, the group process will be continually evaluated and reflected upon by the group members and tutors. Group tutors will give feedback during weekly sessions and during a more extended midterm evaluation of the group process.

Absences are sanctioned. A student who is absent during 3 seminar
sessions without a valid reason, announced beforehand to the tutor, will be expelled from the seminar meetings and will receive a failed grade. Each student is personally responsible for alerting his/her group tutor of his/her absence before the seminar begins.
 
Formal requirements for written project proposal
The research project should be at least 50 pages, or more or less 20.000 words. It should include an introduction, middle part and conclusions; footnotes; reference list and is structured around one’s own selection of reading material (articles, chapters from books, monographs) and – if possible – field work, interviews, ... and materials suggested by the tutors during the seminar meetings.
Students are encouraged to design and set up the written report and the presentation in a personal and creative manner. It is essential that both the research and the translation of that research in a possible project are distinguished in the continuous search for the anthropological perspective, the specific cultural context and realities within which the project is developed.
The presentation should be about 30 minutes. Form and design are free, but it is of course important to convince jury members, who are experts in the field, of the particular, culture-sensitive strengths and the feasibility of the project. Students can bring notes and use a PowerPoint presentation or other visual devices.