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Research Epistemology, Methods and Techniques

Code: 43142
Credits: 9
2026/2027
Degree programme Type Course
Anthropology: Advanced Research and Social Intervention OP 1

Contact lecturer

Name :
José Luis Molina Gonzalez
Email :
joseluis.molina@uab.cat

Teaching staff

Laia Narciso Pedro
Hugo Valenzuela Garcia
Miranda Jessica Lubbers
Sílvia Gomez Mestres
Jorge Grau Rebollo
Carles Feixa Pampols
Beatriz Ballestin Gonzalez
Bruna Alvarez Mora
Dan Rodriguez Garcia

Group languages

You can consult this information at the end of the document.

Prerequisites

There are no previous requirements.

Objectives

  • To know advanced epistemological and methodological debates.
  • To combine different methodologies in order to obtain relational and interpretative explanations which may allow an in-depth comprehension of our study object.
  • To obtain a profound knowledge of various relational data collection and organization techniques.
  • To obtain basic knowledge of the use of audiovisual techniques for the collection and analysis of data.
  • To know how audiovisual devices and productions may be used as ethnographic documents.
  • To be able to combine quantitative and qualitative techniques in specific ethnographic approaches.

Learning outcomes

  1. Work in coordination with other team members on the analysis of anthropological studies and on compiling and analysing ethnographic data.
  2. Understand and use information and communication technologies in accordance with the ethnographic context chosen for study and/or intervention.
  3. Under the supervision of tutors, carry out all the stages of a research project and/or an intervention (documentation, reflection, analysis of data and writing) in the context of the anthropology master's dissertation.
  4. Find original ways to combine ideas, based on the knowledge acquired, within research work on anthropology and social intervention.
  5. Identify important elements in an interview, or in a particular ethnographic observation, that help to formulate judgments and reflect on social and ethical responsibilities in anthropology.
  6. Differentiate between theoretical concepts, concepts belonging to the culture of the anthropologist and those belonging to the culture under study.
  7. When comparing two theories, differentiate between comprehension of underlying cultural content and assessment of empirical appropriateness.
  8. Modify and amplify categories of analysis in context by applying a theoretically-oriented abductive contrastive logic.
  9. Apply critical procedures to the correction of interpretative schema.
  10. Identify the forms of cross-cultural comparison used in the formulation and development of anthropological theories.
  11. Identify the most appropriate information-compiling techniques for drawing up life histories and biographies and in order to reconstruct social events through witness accounts.
  12. Critically analyse audiovisual documents as ethnographic documents.

Contents

The module consists of 4 blocks.


*Cross-cultural research and comparison: interdisciplinary projects


The block Cross-cultural research and comparison: interdisciplinary projects has the following sessions:


Professor General topic Date Hours
Jordi Grau General framework and demonstration of eHRAF as a comparative research tool 02/11/26 16–18 h
Bruna Àlvarez Comparison in interdisciplinary projects in the field of sexuality and gender 02/11/26 18–20 h
Sílvia Gómez Comparison in interdisciplinary projects in the field of Humans-Ocean relationships 06/11/26 16–18 h
Dan Rodríguez and Bea Ballestín Comparison in interdisciplinary projects in the field of mixedness and social diversity 06/11/26 18–20 h
Laia Narciso Comparison in interdisciplinary projects in the field of education and immigration 10/11/26 16–18 h
Miranda Lubbers Comparison in interdisciplinary projects in the field of social cohesion and political polarization 10/11/26 18–20 h
Jordi Grau and the rest of the teaching team Block assessment: in-class presentations 12/11/26 16–18 h



* Life stories (Carles Feixa, 14h)


This block is designed as an invitation to use life histories in the social sciences. It aims to demonstrate the potential of the biographical method and illustrate its application in anthropological research. For this purpose, we use the manual *The Autobiographical Imagination* (Feixa, 2018), which compiles materials generated over the more than two decades that the subject has been taught at the UAB. The course is divided into two parts. The first is theoretical and is based on reading texts and film analysis. The second is applied and consists of familiarizing students with interview techniques as preparation for a guided research exercise: the creation of a life history.


Topic 1. Theory and History of Life Histories.

  • The Concept of Life History.
  • Autobiographical Imagination.


Topic 2. The Practice of Life Histories.

  • Constructing a Life History.
  • The Practice of Life History.


* Ethnograhies of urban poverty (Hugo Valenzuela, 12 h)


Unit 1. Concepts and theories about poverty in anthropology and the social sciences. Ethnographies of poverty: Poverty as a polymorphic phenomenon. Methodological and ethical reflections.


Unit 2. Readings and discussions – fragments of modern ethnographies of poverty.



* Audiovisual anthropology (Jordi Grau, 14h)


Topic 1. (Audio)visual Anthropology: Theoretical Foundations.


Topic 2. Basic Elements of Audiovisual Language.


Topic 3. Integration of Audiovisual Methodologies in Anthropological Research.


Topic 4. Ethnography and Documentary: Theoretical Perspectives and Representative Cases.


Topic 5. The Ethnographic Potential of Audiovisual Fiction.


Topic 6. Convergences and Articulations between Documentary, Fiction and Ethnography.


Workshop: Introduction to Audiovisual Editing of Scientific Production with DaVinci Resolve.


Learning activities and methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning outcomes
Essay preparation and writing 38 1.52 2, 3
Tutoring 30 1.2 3
Persponal Study 34 1.36 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12
Reading and analysis of academic articles / reports 25.5 1.02 2, 3, 4
Lectures and master classes 56.25 2.25 9, 10
Presentation / oral expositions 26.25 1.05 1, 3, 4
  • Lectures and master classes
  • Reading and analysis of academic articles / reports
  • Presentation / oral expositions
  • Personal study
  • Tutoring
  • Essay preparation and writing.

 

Annotation: within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.

Assessment

Continuous assessment activities

Title Weight Hours ECTS Learning outcomes
Individual essay / video-essay 50% 5 0.2 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Attendance and active participation in the classroom. 20% 5 0.2 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 12
Submissions 30% 5 0.2 2, 3, 8, 9, 10, 11

This section of the Study Guide contains all information related to the process of evaluation of the module.


Assessment of the module:


In order to pass the module, the following aspects must be considered:

  • Regular assistance and participation: First, to ensure that the expected learning results are obtained, we consider it fundamental that students regularly attend lectures and participate actively in them. For this reason, students are required to assist at least 80% of each course (\"block\"). Furthermore, the extent to which they participate in presentations, discussions, training sessions is evaluated. This participation is considered in the final grade for each course.
  • Continued assessment of the blocks: Second, each course or block proposes one or multiple activities that allow a continued assessment of the learning process. The activities can vary from a written test to a presentation in class, computer lab assignments, a review of a few articles or chapters, or a short essay, among others. Jointly, the evaluations for the different courses that make up the module (30%) and the participation in these courses (20%) constitute 50% of the final grade of the module. The deadlines for these activities are indicated by the lecturers.
  • Evaluation of the final paper for the module: Last, the grade obtained on a final paper constitutes the remaining 50% of the final grade for the module. In the case of the modules that make up the specializations (in particular, E1.1, E1.2, E2.1, E2.2 and E3.1), each student selects the course that is of major interest for his or her master thesis, from the set of courses that make up the module. The evaluation will be based on this course. The evaluation can consist of a larger essay of approximately 3,000 / 4,000 words, possibly in the format of an article, a review of a state of the art of aspecific theme, or a paper that addresses a specific issue in the discipline on the basis of readings recommended by the lecturer of the course that the student has chosen for evaluation. The deadline for the submission of the final paper will be properly advertised at the module's Moodle.
  • On carrying out each evaluation activity, lecturers will inform students (on Moodle) of the procedures to be followed for reviewing all grades awarded, and the date on which such a review will take place


It is essential to respect the deadlines.


Each lecturer determines the way in which papers are to be submitted (through the Campus Virtual, by e-mail or in printed form, in the mailbox of the lecturer). The lecturers communicate the results of the evaluation through the established ways and establish a period of consultation before they communicate the grades to the coordinator of the module.


Within the \"Life Histories\" block a fieldwork stay is planned in Bonansa. Check the course Moodle to get more information about it.


In general, not submitting the documents that are to be evaluated results in the qualification \"Not assessable\". In exceptional, well justified cases, the Committee of the Master Program may propose an alternative procedure for the evaluation.


General criteria

Assessment is understood as a continued process throughout the term.

When completing each activity endorsed, the teacher will inform the student (Moodle) of the procedure and data for the review of grades.

The qualifications are made on a scale from 0-10 with one decimal. To pass the subject, a minimum final grade of 5.0 is needed, as a result of the assessment procedure explained above. Once the subject is passed, it cannot be subjected to a new evaluation.


The programming of assessment activities cannot be modified unless an exceptional and well justified reason exists for this, in which case a new program is proposed during the term.

When a student performs an irregularity that can lead to a significant variation of the qualification of an assessable activity, the activity will be qualified with a 0, independently of the disciplinary process that might follow. Inthe case that various irregularities in the assessable activities are found within the same module, the qualification of the module will be 0.

Students will obtain a Not assessed/Not submitted course grade unless they have submitted more than 30% of the assessment items. The qualification \"not assessable\" in the final records of evaluation implies the exhaustion of rights inherent in the enrolment to the module, although the \"not assessable\" module will not figure in the academic transcript.


Plagiarism: In the event that the student commits any irregularity that could lead to a significant variation in the grade of an assessment act, this assessment act will be graded with 0, regardless of the disciplinary process that may be instructed. In the event of several irregularities in the evaluation acts of the same module, the final grade for this subject will be 0.

In the event that the evaluation activities cannot be done in situ, their format will be adapted (maintaining their weighting) to the possibilities offered by the UAB’s virtual tools. Homework, activities and participation in class will be done through forums, wikis and / or discussions of exercises through Teams, ensuring that all students can access

This subject allows the use of AI technologies exclusively for support tasks such as bibliographic or content-based searches, text correction or translations, where applicable.

The student must clearly (i) identify which parts havebeen generated using AI technology; (ii) specify the tools used; and (iii) include a critical reflection on how these have influenced the process and final outcome of the activity.


Lack of transparency regarding the use of AI in the assessed activity will be considered academic dishonesty; the corresponding grade may be lowered, or the work may even be awarded a zero. In cases of greater infringement, more serious action may be taken.


This subject/module does not incorporate single assessment.

Bibliography

Broad listy of references. Detailed blog listings will be available at the module's Moodle.

 

ABEL, Theodore. (1947). The Nature and Use of Biograms. American Journal of Sociology, 53, 111-8.

AGAR, Michael. (1982). Hacia un lenguaje etnográfico, en Reynoso, comp. 1992, El surgimiento de  La Antropología postmoderna.Barcelona: Gedisa: 117-137.

AGAR, Michael. (2006). An Ethnography by Any Other Name… Forum Qualitative Socialforschung / Forum: Qualitative Research: 7(4), Art. 36, http://www.qualitative-research.net/index.php/fqs/article/view/177/396

ANDERSON, Benedict. (2006). Imagined communities. London, New York: Verso.

BÁN, Szófia; HEDVIG Turai (2010). Exposed Memories: Family Pictures in Private and Collective Memory. Budapest: International Association of Art Critics. Budapest: CEU Press.

BANKS, Marcus; RUBY, Jay (2011). Introduction: Made to be seen. Historical Perspectives on Visual Anthropology. In M. Banks & J. Ruby  (eds.)  Made to be seen. Historical Perspectives on the History of Visual Anthropology. Chicago: Chicago University Press, pp. 1-18.

BARTH, Frederik. (1969), Los grupos étnicos y sus fronteras. México: Fondo de Cultura Económica.

BAUMAN, Zygmunt. (1990) “Modernity and Ambivalence”, en Theory, Culture & Society, London: Newbury Park and New Deli: Sage, vol.7, pp:143-169

BECKER Howard. (2002). Visual Evidence: A Seventh Man, the Specified Generalization, and the Work of the Reader. Visual Studies, 17 (1): 3-11. In: http://home.earthlink.net/~hsbecker/articles/evidence.html

BOURDIEU, Pierre. (1989). La ilusión biográfica. Historia y FuenteOral, 2, 27-33.

BRUBAKER, Rogers & COOPER, Frederick. (2000). Beyond “identity”. Theory and Society. 29: 1-47.

BUXÓ Mª Jesus, DEMIGUEL Jesús M. (1999). De la investigación audiovisual: Fotografía, cine, vídeo, televisión. Barcelona: Proyecto*a Ediciones.

CLOT, Yves (1989). La otra ilusión biográfica. Historia y Fuente Oral, 2, 35-39.

CLUA I FAINÉ, Montserrat &  Sánchez García, Jose´. (2004). “Més enllà de la identitat: noves conceptualitzacions per a vells problemes?”, introducció a Quaderns-e de l’Institut Català d’Antropologia, 19 (2), Barcelona: ICA, pp. 1-9.

CHRISTIAN Jr., William A. (2017). Presence, Absence and the Supernatural in Postcards and Family Photographs, Europe 1895-1920, in The Stranger, the Tears, the Photograph, the Touch; Divine Presence in Spain and Europe since 1500. Budapest, Central European University Press, 2017, pp. 65-200.

EDWARDS, Elizabeth. (1999). Photographs as Objects of Memories. In M. KWINT, C. BREWARD and J. AYNSLEY, Material Memories; Design and Evocation. Oxford: Berg, 1999, pp. 221-236

FEIXA, Carles. (2018). La imaginación autobiográfica. Las historias de vida como herramienta de investigación. Barcelona: Gedisa.

FALZON, Mark-Anthony. (2016). Multi-sited ethnography: Theory, praxis and locality in contemporary research. Routledge

FLECK, Ludwik (1986 [1935]). La génesis y el desarrollo de un hecho científico. Introducción ala teoría del estilo de pensamiento y del colectivo de pensamiento. Madrid: Alianza Editorial

GONZÁLEZ ECHEVARRÍA, Aurora. (2014). Estilos de pensamiento y adecuación etnográfica. Las epistemologías de Pike, Fleck y Agar, en M. Cátedra y M. J. Devillard (eds). Saberes culturales. Homenaje a Jose Luis Garcia , Barcelona, Bellaterra: 297-318.

GONZÁLEZ ECHEVARRÍA, Aurora.  (2009). La dicotomía emic/etic. Historia de una confusion. Barcelona: Anthropos.

GONZÁLEZ ECHEVARRÍA, Aurora. (2003). La concepción estructural de las teorías, Las etnografías como predicados de estructura, y La crítica no empírica de conceptos, en Crítica de la singularidad cultural, Barcelona/ México, Anthropos y Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana,: 426-430, 446-455, 465-472.

GONZÁLEZ ECHEVARRÍA, Aurora. (2006). Del utillaje conceptual de la antropología: los usos del término “inductivismo” y los usos del término “hermeneútica”. Dos propuestas  de clarificación”, Revista de Antropología Social, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 15, 2006: 327-372.

GRAU REBOLLO, Jorge (2020). Posverdad y Ficción. Barcelona: Edicions Belalterra.

GRAU REBOLLO, Jorge. (2012). Antropología Audiovisual. Reflexiones teóricas, Alteridades. 43: 155-169. UAM, Mexico D.F.

GRAU REBOLLO, Jorge. (2005). Antropología, cine y refracción: Los textos fílmicos como documentos etnográficos, en Gazeta de Antropología. 21. Publicación electrónica: Htpp://www.ugr.es/~pwlac/Welcome.html. ISSN 0214-7564. Texto 21-03

GRIMSHAW, Anna; RAVETZ, Amanda. (Eds.) (2005). Visualizing Anthropology. Bristol: Intellect Books.

KESSELS, Erik (2001). In almost every picture. Amsterdam, Artimo/Gijs Stork.

HAGE, Ghassan. (2005). A not so multi-sited ethnography of a not so imagined community. Anthropological Theory, 5(4), 463–475. https://doi.org/10.1177/1463499605059232

HINE, Christine. (2007). Multi-sited ethnography as a middle range methodology for contemporary STS. Science, Technology, & Human Values, 32(6), 652–671.

LÉVI-STRAUSS, Claude. (1996 [1952]). Raza y cultura, Madrid: Cátedra.

MACDOUGALL, David. (2011). Anthropological Filmmaking: An empirical Art. In Margolis, Eric & Pauwels, Luc (Eds.) (2011) The SAGE Handbook of Visual Research Methods. London: SAGE, pp.  99-113.

MARCUS, George (1995). Ethnography in/of the World System: The Emergence of Multi-Sited Ethnography. Annual Review of Anthropology, 24(95), 117.

MARCUS, George (2009). Multi-sited ethnography: Notes and queries. Multi-Sited Ethnography: Theory, Praxis, and Locality in Contemporary Research, 181–196.

MARCUS, George (2012). Multi-sited ethnography: Five or six things I know about it now. In Multi-sited ethnography (pp. 24–40). Routledge.

MARINAS, Miguel., & SANTAMARÍA, Cristina. (Eds.). (1993). La historia oral. Madrid: Debate.

MILLER, Daniel, ed. (2001). Home Possessions: Material Culture behind closed doors. Oxford: Berg.

NARANJO Juan (ed.) (2006). Fotografía, antropología y colonialismo (1845-2006). Ed. Gustavo Gili, S.L., Barcelona, 2006 [introducción].

ORTIZ GARCÍA, Carmen; SÁNCHEZ-CARRETERO, Cristina; CEA GUTIÉRREZ, Antonio (2005) Maneras de Mirar: Lecturas antropológicas de la fotografía. Madrid: CSIC.

PIAULT, Marc Henry. (2002). Antropología y cine. Madrid: Cátedra.

PIKE, Kenneth L. (1971). Language in Relation to a Unified Theory of the Structure of Human Behavior.2ªimpresión de la 2ª edición revisada de 1967. La Haya, Mouton (1ª edición 1964, ediciones preliminares 1954-55-60).

PINK, Sarah. (2007 [2001]). Doing Visual Ethnography. London: Sage.

ROBINSON ACHUTTI Luiz Eduardo. (2004). L‘homme sur la photo; manuel de photoethnographie. Paris : Téraèdre.

SAN ROMÁN, Teresa. (2009). Sobre la investigación etnográfica, Revista de Antropología Social, 18. 235-260. Comentario: 261-263, Comentario al comentario: 265-266.

STOLCKE, Verena. (1995). Talking Culture. New Boundaries, New Rhetorics of Exclusion in Europe, Current Anthropology, 36:1-24

THOMAS, William I. & ZNANIECKI, Florian. ([1918-20] 1984). The Polish Peasant in Europe and America. New York: Dover.

 

Software

Students should be familiar with office suite software (word processor, slide show, spreadsheets, etc.) and some reference manager (Mendeley, if possible). In the Audiovisual Anthropology course, we will use free audiovisual editing software.

Course groups and languages

The information provided is provisional until November 30. After this date, you will be able to consult the language of each group through this link. To access the information, you will need to enter the course CODE

Type of teaching Group Language Semester Shift
(TEm) Theory (master) 1 Spanish second semester afternoon