University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Illinois State University Study Abroad

Cikanek, Matthew; Smith, Anne; Smith, Sheila

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/16423

Description

Title
Illinois State University Study Abroad
Author(s)
  • Cikanek, Matthew
  • Smith, Anne
  • Smith, Sheila
Issue Date
2009
Keyword(s)
  • Study Abroad, Illinois State University Study Abroad Program
  • ANT 285
  • Fall 2009
Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to discuss the study abroad experience for Illinois State students based on interviews with students who plan to go abroad and those who have gone abroad. This paper will discuss what factors contribute to a successful study abroad experience, what are the difficulties of studying abroad, and how can the program be improved upon based on suggestions from interviews.
Series/Report Name or Number
The objective of this course is to provide students with hands-on training in ethnographic methods and writing and to help students become critical readers of ethnographic research. Instead of attempting to present a whole smorgasbord of research methods or to survey the vast literature on ethnographic fieldwork, we focus on a small selection of techniques that are central to much anthropological fieldwork (field note taking, participant observation, interviewing, mapping) and that are most useful and relevant for students' semester projects. Other techniques and issues are discussed and incorporated as they emerge from students' own research inquiries. Students will not conduct a full-blown research project but instead will get “a taste” of ethnographic research through a series of ethnographic exercises and students' own mini-project. At the end of the semester, students write an ethnographic research report based on their findings and reflections on the research process. This course is affiliated with the EUI and, as a part of this initiative, students are asked to try their hand at ethnographic research about their own institution, Illinois State University.
Type of Resource
text
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http://hdl.handle.net/2142/16423

Owning Collections

Student Communities and Culture PRIMARY
The university offers an extraordinary opportunity to study and document student communities, life, and culture. This collection includes research on the activities, clubs, and durable social networks that comprise sometimes the greater portion of the university experience for students.