Description:
This course introduces students to a variety of interpretive research methods employed to study the media and communication. Looking at the historical development and epistemological foundations of such methods, we will discuss what constitutes interpretive methodologies and how they differ from other forms of qualitative research. We will explore a range of commonly employed methods such as ethnography, historical methods, the analysis of visual texts, semiotics, ideological criticism, and legal interpretive methods. We will pay particular attention to ethical issues and pragmatic techniques as we read essays by leading scholars who employ interpretive methods in their research. Students will not only become familiar with interpretive research traditions and see how they are applied to real life media phenomena, but will also learn how to distinguish well done from sloppy research.