Course info

Ethnographic research has become increasingly popular in health care sciences. This course provides a solid methodological foundation for using ethnographic research to understand real-world issues in context. Attention will be paid to how ethnographic strategies can be deployed in health care contexts, as a way of illustrating the more general principles of ethnographic work.

Over four days, this course will cover core components of the ethnographic approach such as data gathering (participant observation, interview, field notes and documents), data analysis, ethical issues and writing articles based on ethnography. The course will provide students with an understanding of how to design and carry out ethnographic research and an awareness of contemporary developments in the theory and practice of ethnographic studies.

The course is designed for participants and lecturers to engage in different activities such as lectures, practical exercises and discussions of some of the theoretical, methodological and practical issues and challenges in using ethnography. Each participant will give a short presentation of his/hers PhD project and receive feedback from lecturers and participants during the course.

• Detailed program

  Time	Tuesday September 27 Introduction to ethnography
  09:00-09:30	Welcome, introduction and presentation of participants (EES)
  09:30-10:30	Introduction to ethnography: History, methodology and ethics (TT)
  10:30-10:45	Coffee break
  10:45-12:30	Introduction to ethnography – continued (TT)
  12:30-13:00	Lunch
  13:00-14:30	Presentations and discussions focusing on methodology (ALL)
  14:30-14:45	Coffee break
  14:45-16:00	Presentations and discussions - continued (ALL)

   

   

  Time	Wednesday September 28 Fieldwork - introduction
  09:00-09:15	Introduction to day 2 and reflections/questions from day1 (HHT)
  09:15-10:30	Capturing relational aspects in family health nursing including virtual fieldwork (HHT)
  10:30-10:45	Coffee break
  11:15-12:30	How to capture interactions between health professionals in a multidisciplinary health care setting? (EES)
  12:30-13:00	Lunch
  13:00-14:00	Presentations and discussions focusing on field work (ALL)
  14:00-14:15	Coffee break
  14:15-15:30	Presentations and discussions - continued (ALL)
  18:00-	Dinner in Aalborg City

   

  Time	Thursday September 29 From fieldwork to analysis – from presence to abstraction
  09:00-09:15	Introduction to day 3 and reflections/questions from day 2 (LU)
  09:15-10:00	Basic analytical strategies in ethnography (HHT)
  10:00-10:15	Coffee break
  10:15-11:00	Go-along: Analyzing while collecting data (LU)
  11:00 -12:15	Deductive vs. inductive approach: The role of theory in analysis (KSP)
  12:15-13:00	Lunch
  13:00-14:00	Presentations and discussions focusing on analysis (ALL)
  14:00-14:15	Coffee break
  14:15-16:00	Presentations and discussions - continued (ALL)

   

  Time	Friday September 30 Writing ethnography for publication
  09:00-09:15	Introduction to day 4 and reflections/questions from day 3 (MG)
  09:15-10:30	Scientific writing in Health Care Sciences (MG)
  10:30 -10:45	Coffee break
  10:45 -12:00	Critical reading of scientific papers using ethnography including systematic review (LU)
  12:00 - 12.30	Lunch
  12:30 - 14:00	Presentations and discussions focusing on publication (ALL)
  14:00 - 14:15	Coffee break
  14:15 -15:00	Wrap up, final remarks & evaluation (ALL)