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| Semester | fall semester 2019 |
| Course frequency | Once only |
| Lecturers |
Elisio Macamo (elisio.macamo@unibas.ch, Assessor)
Joschka Philipps (joschka.philipps@unibas.ch) Noemi Steuer (noemi.steuer@unibas.ch) |
| Content | This unique two-semester course prepares MA students for their Masters theses and trains them in intercultural scientific collaboration. Parallel classes focusing on methodology and social theory take place in Basel, Bamako (Mali), and Conakry (Guinea). They are taught by experienced staff connected via an operational online platform and complemented by two workshops in Bamako (September 2019) and Basel (October 2020). The courses provide ample opportunities for students to collaboratively elaborate ideas into feasible Master’s theses, to prepare presentations in transnational teams, and to share and sharpen their thoughts on the challenges and prospects of social scientific knowledge production today. The course revolves around the foundations of social inquiry: its concerns, methods, theories and fault lines. Working with broad overviews as well as concrete case studies, faculty presents the qualities of different research methods, theoretical frameworks, and the practical processes of research (e.g. how to frame a feasible research question). The goal is for students to gain confidence in positioning themselves within broader schools of thought and as authors of their own academic work. The special quality of this course lies both in its cross-continental and digitally connected work environment as well as in the unique learning experience it offers. Provided with a supportive environment, students can discuss the pressing abstract questions that come with an MA thesis in a hands-on manner: how does one become self-aware of one’s implicit (cultural) assumptions? How does one choose the ‘right’ topic and a suitable methodological approach? How can we overcome Eurocentrism in social theory? Combining abstract thought and concrete interaction, students will learn to harness the social sciences as a means of cross- and transcultural understanding, and cultivate crucial intellectual and practical skills for their professional futures. The two-semester course is part of the pilot project IDEAS (International Digital Exchange between Africa and Switzerland) which is generously funded by Movetia. The programme covers flight and accommodation in Mali of all participants. Program: 2019 July: Instruction workshop for working via the online platform 2-6 September: Methodology workshop in Bamako, Mali 16 September – 20 December: Methodology course at the University of Basel 2020 17 February – 29 May: Theory course at the University of Basel October: Theory workshop at the University of Basel October: Presentation of MA research projects (SGAS conference in Switzerland) |
| Comments | As an IDEAS student, you commit to participating in both practical courses: one on methods in the 2019 fall term and one on theory in spring 2020 at the University of Basel. You commit to joining our two workshops in Bamako and Basel (see dates below). You commit to developing your MA research during the project. The research projects will be presented at the final workshop in Basel and/or at the biannual conference of the Swiss Society for African Studies (SSAS/SGAS/SSEA). |
| Admission requirements | You can apply if you... ...are a MA student at a Swiss university in any social scientific discipline (area studies, global studies, sociology, anthropology, political science, history, philosophy, archeology, development studies, etc.) ... understand, speak, and write in French to a degree where you feel comfortable in a multi-lingual context (French, English) ... have no aversion to working with online tools (an extensive introduction will be provided before the classes start) |
| Course application | You apply by sending your CV and a short motivation letter to ideas@unibas.ch. The deadline is June 15, 2019. Your CV should provide an overview on your previous studies and, if applicable: internships, foreign exchanges and travel experiences, foreign language skills, extra-curricular activities, publications in newspapers, blogs, or other media, etc. The one-page motivation letter should succinctly state how you would benefit from the project and how you think you can contribute to it socially and academically. |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Use of digital media | No specific media used |
| Interval | Weekday | Time | Room |
|---|
No dates available. Please contact the lecturer.
| Modules |
Modul: Fields: Knowledge Production and Transfer (Master's degree program: African Studies) Modul: Methoden der Gesellschaftswissenschaften (Master's Studies: European Global Studies) Modul: Methoden der Soziologie und der Gesellschaftswissenschaften: qualitativ (Master's degree subject: Sociology) Modul: Research Skills (Master's degree program: African Studies) Module: Projects and Processes of Urbanization (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 | Zentrum für Afrikastudien |