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78110-01 - Practical course: Researching Racism (3 CP)
| Semester | spring semester 2026 |
| Course frequency | Once only |
| Lecturers | Nadira Soraya Haribe (nadira.haribe@unibas.ch, Assessor) |
| Content | In this exercise course, we will focus on methodological and ethical questions in approaches to researching racism. We will examine issues related to the nature of the phenomena being studied as well as the challenges of conducting research in fields shaped by oppressive social contexts. What is the role of the researcher when studying oppression? Which ethical issues arise when researching racism? We will also explore how speculative methods, the concept of weathering and the use of art can expand approaches to researching violence, and we will consider what it means to research the responses to racism, namely anti-racism. We will address these questions by drawing on literature from scholars in critical race and race critical studies who adopt different approaches. This course will benefit students that plan to, or are already, working on projects that engage with racism or discrimination more broadly. The exercises and discussions can be tailored to specific projects and questions, allowing students to think through the methodological and ethical dimensions of their own work. |
| Learning objectives | – Students understand and can critically evaluate diverse methodological approaches to researching racism – Students recognise the tensions, ambiguities and conceptual disagreements within scholarship on racism – Students can critically analyse the challenges of researching the production of difference |
| Bibliography | Fernando, Mayanthi L. 2014. ‘Ethnography and the Politics of Silence’. Cultural Dynamics 26(2): 235–44. Gunaratnam, Yasmin. 2020. ‘On Researching Climates of Hostility and Weathering’. Pp. 129-41 in The SAGE Handbook of Media and Migration. London: Sage. Gunaratnam, Yasmin. 2003. Researching ‘Race’ and Ethnicity: Methods, Knowledge and Power. London: Sage. Hall, Stuart. 2021. Selected Writings on Race and Difference. Durham and London: Duke University Press. |
| Comments | The course is limited to 20 participants. If more people register, priority will be given to MA students in African Studies and Sociology. I might request a short statement of interest to help with the selection process in the weeks before the semester begins. Therefore, I recommend signing up early to ensure you receive all notifications regarding the procedure. |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Use of digital media | No specific media used |
| Interval | Weekday | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|---|
| wöchentlich | Thursday | 14.15-16.00 | Rheinsprung 21, Seminarraum 00.004 |
Dates
| Date | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday 19.02.2026 | 14.15-16.00 | Rheinsprung 21, Seminarraum 00.004 |
| Thursday 26.02.2026 | 14.15-16.00 | Fasnachtsferien |
| Thursday 05.03.2026 | 14.15-16.00 | Rheinsprung 21, Seminarraum 00.004 |
| Thursday 12.03.2026 | 14.15-16.00 | Rheinsprung 21, Seminarraum 00.004 |
| Thursday 19.03.2026 | 14.15-16.00 | Rheinsprung 21, Seminarraum 00.004 |
| Thursday 26.03.2026 | 14.15-16.00 | Rheinsprung 21, Seminarraum 00.004 |
| Thursday 02.04.2026 | 14.15-16.00 | Ostern |
| Thursday 09.04.2026 | 14.15-16.00 | Rheinsprung 21, Seminarraum 00.004 |
| Thursday 16.04.2026 | 14.15-16.00 | Rheinsprung 21, Seminarraum 00.004 |
| Thursday 23.04.2026 | 14.15-16.00 | Rheinsprung 21, Seminarraum 00.004 |
| Thursday 30.04.2026 | 14.15-16.00 | Rheinsprung 21, Seminarraum 00.004 |
| Thursday 07.05.2026 | 14.15-16.00 | Rheinsprung 21, Seminarraum 00.004 |
| Thursday 14.05.2026 | 14.15-16.00 | Auffahrt |
| Thursday 21.05.2026 | 14.15-16.00 | Rheinsprung 21, Seminarraum 00.004 |
| Thursday 28.05.2026 | 14.15-16.00 | Rheinsprung 21, Seminarraum 00.004 |
| Modules |
Modul: Methoden der Soziologie und der Gesellschaftswissenschaften: qualitativ (Master's degree subject: Sociology) Modul: Transfer: Europa interdisziplinär (Master's degree program: European History in Global Perspective) Modul: Ungleichheit, Konflikt, Kultur (Master's degree subject: Sociology) Module: Europeanization and Globalization (Master's Studies: European Global Studies) Module: Fields: Governance and Politics (Master's degree program: African Studies) Module: Fields: Knowledge Production and Transfer (Master's degree program: African Studies) Module: Methods for Analyzing Changing Societies (Master's degree program: Changing Societies: Migration – Conflicts – Resources) Module: Research Skills (Master's degree program: African Studies) Module: The Urban across Disciplines (Master's degree program: Critical Urbanisms) |
| Assessment format | continuous assessment |
| Assessment registration/deregistration | Reg.: course registration; dereg.: not required |
| Repeat examination | no repeat examination |
| Scale | Pass / Fail |
| Repeated registration | no repetition |
| Responsible faculty | Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, studadmin-philhist@unibas.ch |
| Offered by | Fachbereich Soziologie |