Center for Global Education -- Program information for Mexico

Independent Study in Mexico

HIS/INS/POL/REL/SPA/WST 499

Instructor: Stephanie Barnes (stbarnes27@hotmail.com)

Cross Listings and Credit Options

Students may choose to register for credit in any of the following departments: History (HIS), Interdisciplinary Studies (INS), Religion (REL), Spanish (SPA) or Women’s Studies (WST). However, students seeking Spanish credit must receive approval from the Augsburg Modern Languages department chair prior to enrollment and must then complete all assignments in Spanish.

Course Description

The independent study option allows students who are highly self-motivated and able to work independently to conduct independent research during the second half of the semester. The independent research may consist of an ethnographic study, participant observation research, other field-based research, or independent reading, combined with other more experiential methods. This course option is particularly aimed at students who want to carry out research in a cross cultural environment or who want to begin research related to a senior thesis or capstone project. Students who register for this seminar must submit a preliminary independent study proposal that includes a reading list by December 15 at the latest. A revised draft must be submitted by January 15 before coming to Cuernavaca. Students must bring related books and articles with them to Mexico as it is difficult to find sources here (please see paper requirements below).

Independent Study proposal forms are available on-line at http://www.augsburg.edu/global/spadocs/mexico/INS399App.rtf. Please submit completed forms to Stephanie Barnes in Mexico at stbarnes27@hotmail.com by June 1 for fall semester and December 15 for spring semester. Please remember to request confirmation of receipt of the application or proposal. If you do not receive confirmation, please send again.

Before beginning their independent research, students will participate in an orientation session with the faculty advisor, at which time they will discuss research methodology and ethical issues in research. The Center for Global Education received permission from the Institutional Review Board (IRB) committee at Augsburg College for students in this program to engage in research involving human subjects. Students must follow all ethical guidelines. Those who fail to do so will not pass the course.

Each student will collaborate with the faculty advisor who will supervise the study and provide a few suggestions regarding experiential activities related to the topic. Students will meet with their faculty advisor at least six times over the course of the semester. However, students should be prepared to work independently and responsibly.

Responsibilities of the Faculty Advisor

Meet with independent study students to discuss their proposals and provide feedback.
Discuss ethical guidelines for research and tips regarding research design for realistic projects within Mexico.
Provide a few articles on research methods, as necessary.
Give suggestions regarding local resources and provide names and phone numbers of contacts for students to set up their own interviews and/or service-learning projects, depending upon the project.
Meet with the students periodically – at least six times over the course of the semester. Near the beginning of the semester the faculty advisor will give the students a tentative schedule of dates for such meetings.
Read students’ assignments, grade them, and provide feedback on the content of the assignments. The faculty advisor is not responsible for correcting spelling or grammatical errors in Spanish for those students who complete assignments in Spanish.

Responsibilities of the Student

Work independently.
Find and read adequate books, articles, and internet resources regarding the chosen topic.
Make phone calls to set up interviews &/or service-learning projects or other work related to the independent study.
Pay for books, articles, library fees, photocopies, transportation, translations, and any other expenses related to the independent study.
Follow deadlines established by the faculty advisor. If the student needs to negotiate a deadline due to illness or other circumstances, s/he must contact the instructor in advance of the original deadline.
E-mail or call the advisor to ask questions or set up a meeting if s/he needs additional assistance.
Complete all assignments in Spanish, IF s/he is registered for Spanish credit.
Submit an extra copy of all assignments to the designated Spanish professor (if applicable). It is highly recommended that students who are registered for Spanish credit submit their assignments to the Spanish professor in time to receive feedback prior to the deadlines established by the faculty advisor so that they can make corrections before submitting work to their advisor.

Scheduling

Although the course begins the third week of the semester, the bulk of the students’ work will begin after completion of the intensive month of Spanish classes and will end at the end of the first week in May. During that period of time, most Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and weekends will be free for students to conduct their independent research. Some of the reasons for concentrating the fieldwork during the second half of the semester are so that:

Students who are not already bilingual will have improved their language skills and confidence in speaking Spanish;
Students will have received a basic orientation to the culture and local area;
Students will have completed several weeks of other experiential courses, providing them with a better understanding of the Mexican context, as well as a sense of the resources available locally.

Learning Objectives/Outcomes

Learners will:

Design and carry out an effective research proposal and plan, complete with research tools and instruments.
Discuss the ethics of field-based research and follow ethical guidelines.
Explore in depth a topic of personal and academic interest.
Record observations and insights from their research in a field journal or reading log.
Develop skills in writing a research paper and presenting their research findings in such a way that it could be presented at an academic or professional conference.
Compile a professional portfolio that portrays the success of their research.

Sample Topics

History of indigenous resistance movements in Mexico
Comparison of revolutionary movements in Mexico and Guatemala or El Salvador
Testimonial literature of Latin American women
Semana Santa in Latin America
The history of U.S. foreign policy in Mexico and Central America
Changes in the portrayal of gender roles in Mexican films from the 1950s to the present
Impact of immigration to the U.S. on families and local communities in Cuernavaca, Morelos
Women’s participation in base Christian communities
The impact of NAFTA on Mexican women
The Zapatistas, past and present
Women in Mexican politics
Afro-Mexican culture and history

Potential Research Methods

Students may choose to do any one or combination of the following:

Read books and articles about the topic of interest.
Visit museums, archeological sites, or other locations where will help the student learn more about the research topic.
Watch videos, films, or TV programs related to the topic.
Complete volunteer/service-learning work related to the independent study topic.
Conduct participant/observation research in a particular organization or community related to the research topic.*
Conduct interviews or record oral histories of people relevant to the topic of interest.*

*Please note: If a student does not have very strong Spanish language skills, s/he should probably consider taking a second Spanish course or conducting an independent study that will not require extensive interviews or participant observation research. If a student wishes to conduct extensive interviews even without a strong grasp of the Spanish language, then s/he will need to hire a translator at approximately US$10/hour (at their own expense) in order to conduct the interviews. This should be taken into consideration by students as they design their independent study. If a student does decide to conduct interviews, s/he will need to discuss the ethics of ethnographic research with his/her advisor and supervisor.

Required Readings

Independent study students should purchase and bring with them any and all books relevant to their research topic. If you want to check to see if we already have a particular book in our library, please email Stephanie Barnes at stbarnes27@hotmail.com

Students may also find it helpful to read excerpts from:

Emerson, Robert M., Rachel I. Fretz, Linda L. Shaw. Writing Ethnographic Fieldnotes. University of Chicago Press, 1995.

Kutsche, Paul. Field Ethnography: A Manual for Doing Cultural Anthropology. Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1998.

Yow, Valerie Raleigh. Recording Oral History: A Practical Guide for Social Scientists. SAGE Publications, 1994.

**Please note that students may make alternative assignment proposals in writing to the faculty advisor. Such proposals must list any revisions in the above syllabus, including alternative assignments, due dates and proposed percentages for the grade for each assignment.

Course Requirements: (100 % = 100 points)

1. Participation: (5%): All students are required to attend and actively participate in the Fieldwork/Independent Study orientation, occasional seminar sessions, and meetings with their faculty advisor. Active participation includes completion of any additional readings assigned by the faculty advisor, as well as responsible participation in any service-learning or participant observation work that s/he set up. The participation grade also includes students’ fulfillment of the “Responsibilities of the Student” listed above.

2. Paper #1 (15%): Students will submit a first draft of the preliminary three sections of their final paper. The purpose of this paper is to help them articulate their basic understanding of the chosen issue and the ways in which their proposed research will contribute to knowledge about the topic. The paper should be approximately 6-8 pages in length. See details of Sections 1-3 listed under the Final Paper below.

3. Research Design (10 %): Students must complete a short research design, complete with a draft of the proposed research instruments. Some suggested areas are:

What is the research plan and schedule? What steps will be taken, and when will each aspect of the research – (information collection, systematization of ideas, and analysis) be carried out?
What research methods &/or techniques will be used? (Interviews? Participant observation, etc.?) Why were those methods or techniques chosen?
Procedures: What will the procedures be?
Sources: What sources will be used? How will people or places be selected? Where will participant observation be conducted? How many people will be interviewed?
What ethical considerations will be taken into account as research procedures are implemented?

4. Independent Study Portfolio (25%): Purpose: The purpose of the portfolio is to document the learner’s efforts, progress, and achievements in relation to the objectives that were stated in the independent study proposal. Therefore it should consist of a collection of all of the student’s work on this independent study. Most students find it helpful to use a 3-ring binder for the portfolio and to create tabs for each different section of the portfolio. In any case, the portfolio should include a table of contents, defined sections, and be presented in a professional manner. It should also include the original version of the independent study proposal as well as any revised versions of it, complete with an explanation of the revisions. Students are encouraged to include work samples and projects in their portfolios. Therefore, they should be saved throughout the semester. The final version of the portfolio should include the components listed below. Please note that certain components are worth specific points (totaling 20 points), whereas the remaining 5 points of the portfolio grade will depend upon the organization & thoroughness of the portfolio itself.

Independent Study Portfolios should include:

Table of Contents
150-word abstract: Students will write a 150-word abstract in the standard format used for writing proposals to present papers at academic and professional conferences.
The research design (points designated separately): This must include the final research design with instruments, as well as the original proposal and any revised versions of that proposal. See information above.
Also please include the research methods and/or techniques used such as interviews, participant observation, etc.
The final paper.
Field notes: Students will be expected to record observations, interpretations, and reactions to independent reading, interviews and other forms of research.
Appendices: Photos, graphs, pamphlets, and any other relevant information.

5. Final paper (30%): Each student will write a 15-20 page research paper. Students will be expected to revise and polish Paper #1 (sections 1-3) and incorporate it into the final paper as the initial sections of that paper.

Final papers should include the following:

Section 1:	Introduction & Rationale (In your own words)
	a. What is the problem or area of study the students plans to explore? b. Why is this issue important?

Section 2:	Background & Context
	a. Background knowledge: What is already known about this topic? b. What have you learned from the background readings so far? c. Mini-literature review: What has been written on the topic, and from which theoretical frameworks? d. Context of the issue in Mexico: What is the local context and situation of this issue in Mexico?

Section 3:	Research Questions & Theoretical Framework (In general, your theory or basic approach to understanding your topic. Why is it significant that you are conducting the research in Mexico?)
	a. What is the purpose of the study, and how will it build on previous studies that exist? b. What are the specific research questions? c. Theoretical framework: What theoretical or other lenses are being used and why?

Section 4:	Methodology: Discussion of the Research Design and Implementation (smaller section)
	a. What were the research methods and/or techniques? (Interviews? Participant observation, etc.?) b. Why were those methods or techniques chosen? Procedures: How many people were interviewed, and how were those people and/or places selected? Where was participant observation conducted, etc.? c. What ethical considerations were taken into account?Did the sources ask to be credited or were their names changed to protect their anonymity? d. What challenges were encountered in the implementation of the research design? e. What were the strengths and weaknesses or limitations of the research design and implementation?

Section 5:	Research Findings (largest section)
	a. Research data: What was discovered? b. Interpretation of the data: What does it mean? c. Broader context of the findings: How does what was found relate to the body of knowledge discussed earlier? How is it similar and/or different? Does it support others’ ideas? Refute them? Offer new insights?

Section 6:	Conclusions
	a. Final reflections b. Questions for further exploration c. End notes or footnotes, bibliography, and appendices

6. Final Poster Presentation (15%): At the end of the semester, all students must give a 10-minute oral presentation with a poster/powerpoint in which they share what they have learned from the independent study with the rest of the students. Students are encouraged to prepare their oral presentations as if they were presenting a poster session at an academic or professional conference, and therefore should summarize their research findings in the most interesting way possible, highlighting the key questions that emerged from the research, as well as articulating questions for further investigation. Students should make use of audio-visual aids to enhance their presentations. Students should also time their presentation as to not go over the designated time allotment.