KF-404 Encounters between Arts, Ethnography and Pedagogy

The course is connected to the following study programs

• Master's Programme in Classical Music Performance

Teaching language

English/Norwegian

Prerequisites

Bachelor’s degree in a relevant area (artistic fields, anthropology, sociology, or pedagogy / education. Degrees from other fields may be considered based on application).

Course contents

The course Encounters between Arts, Ethnography and Pedagogy intends to provide students with experience and training in undertaking innovative and critical research that approaches site-specificity from multiple angles:

• First, through employing perspectives and methods from site-specific artistic practices to research.

• Second, through exploring current developments in ethnography, or the methodological tradition of participatory research that engages with local sites and communities.

• Third, through studying traditions of pedagogy relevant to context-oriented collaboration, research and interventions.

The course focuses on individual and artistic engagement with concrete sites or social contexts as a source of participatory and multi-modal knowledge production. The resulting student works will contain both artistic, pedagogical and research dimensions, and aim to speak to and engage audiences both within and outside academic, educational and artistic realms.

Central topics:

• Principles of artistic, practice-led research: traditions, developments, and methodological approaches

• Current developments in ethnographic research: sensory, participatory, and critical dimension of fieldwork and outcome

• Developments of sensory, public, critical, and context-oriented pedagogy

• Site-specific artistic practices; phenomenological, institutional, and discursive dimensions

• Developing an explorative practice through art, pedagogy, and research

• Multi-dimensional fieldwork and research output

Learning outcomes

On successful completion of this course, the student shall: 

• have a comprehensive understanding of site-specific research approaches that draw on ethnographic, artistic and pedagogical dimensions

• have acquired methodological skills to engage various contexts through artistic, ethnographic and pedagogical research approaches

• have an understanding of ethical dimensions of site-specific artistic practices and research, including questions of participation and representation

• be able to raise relevant research questions for site-specific and participatory research

Examination requirements

• Attendance in fieldwork and other gatherings is mandatory.

• 3 – 5 work assignments must be passed before the final examination can take place.

An overview of the assignments and workload will be presented at the start of the course.

Teaching methods

The course will take place through three phases that stretch over a period of 3-4 months:

1. Introduction and preparation, where the student prepares a practical fieldwork and is also introduced to the course topics through readings, lectures and group discussions.

2. Fieldwork, where the student engages in a local site, and shares experiences and reflections with supervisors and fellow students.

3. Follow-up, processing of data and generation of a practice-based research report through exhibition, performance, work demonstration or similar, along with a written text

Phase 1 (approx. 2 months) and phase 3 (approx. 1 month) will mainly be carried out as an online course with digital communication, through sharing of student works and progress (blog or similar), video lectures, online group discussions and gatherings, and individual supervision.

Phase 2 of the course is planned to be offered as a 2-week summer fieldwork gathering in the island of Lesvos, Greece, in collaboration with Metochi study centre. Other alternatives may be offered depending on financing. Supervision will be offered through all phases of preparation, fieldwork and follow-up, and will focus on relevant issues and research questions, methodological and theoretical approaches, ethics, scope and presentation of the individual student research project. Supervision will be given individually and in groups, depending on what is most relevant for the students and their projects.

Digital tools will be used. The student must have access to a personal computer.

The workload is estimated to 27 hours per credit.

Evaluation

The person responsible for the course, in consultation with the student representative, decides the method of evaluation and whether the courses will have a midterm- or end of term evaluation, see also the Quality System, section 4.1. Information about evaluation method for the course will be posted on Canvas.

Offered as Single Standing Module

Yes

Assessment methods and criteria

The exam consists of two parts:

1. An individual written project report (approx. 2500 words).

2. An individual practical work demonstration or exhibition followed by an oral examination based on the submitted work.

Both parts must be passed to pass the exam.

Assessment: Pass/fail.