Ethnography Summer School
The University of Texas at Austin
August 18-21, 2025
The UT Austin Urban Ethnography Lab offers a four-day intensive course on ethnographic methods. The course provides an overview of ethnography as a “way of seeing” the social world and as a “way of doing” social scientific research. Participants will learn about different approaches to ethnography and the place(s) of theory in ethnographic research. They will also examine the need for warrants and puzzles in ethnography, the various ways of reconstructing subjects’ points of view, the role of reflexivity, and the ethical dilemmas present in hands-on research. Invited speakers from the Sociology Department will offer lectures on specific topics. Participants will have the opportunity to discuss their own projects with attending faculty and will be offered a workshop on qualitative data analysis software, and a presentation on human subjects protection protocols.
The workshop will take place at UT Austin from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm Monday to Thursday except where noted. Lunch will be provided. Participants will be responsible for travel and accommodations.
Schedule:
August 18. Day 1: Introduction and Reception
3 pm - 5:30 pm Javier Auyero: Welcome and “A Basic Architecture of Ethnographic Fieldwork.”
6 pm: Reception
August 19. Day 2: Observation and Interviewing I
9:30 am - 12 pm Dagoberto Cortez: “Observing Interactions and Learning to Vary Participation: Lessons from a Cancer Clinic Ethnography.”
2 pm - 4:30 pm Christine Williams: “Talking to People: How to Do it and Why it Matters.”
August 20. Day 3: Interviewing II and Coding
9:30 am - 12 pm Kathleen Griesbach: “Nuts and Bolts of In-Depth Interviews.”
2 pm - 4:30 pm Daniel Fridman: “Introduction to Qualitative Data Analysis.”
August 21. Day 4: Ethics and Writing
9:30 am - 12 pm Gloria González-López: “Ethnography, Critical Reflexity, and Ethics.”
1:30 pm - 2:30 pm Blanca Ramirez: “Entrusted Dreams: Shadowing Los Angeles’ Immigration Attorneys.”
2.30 pm - 4:30 pm Javier Auyero: “Wrap-up: On writing so that others care.”
One-on-one discussion of participants’ projects with Ethnography Lab faculty.
APPLICATION
Upload your CV and a one-page (single space) description of your general interest in ethnography and/or your ethnographic project at this link.
Deadline for applications: The deadline to apply is April 23. Admits will be notified by May 1. Payment (by credit or debit card only) is due May 15.
COST
The workshop fee is:
Free for UT Sociology graduate students.
$700 for other UT graduate students.
$900 for non-UT graduate students, postdocs, employees/interns in non-profits.
$1,100 for faculty and private sector employees.
For more information, contact Dorothy Rau and Chyi-Rong Tsai.
