Oddelek za predmete: Elective

Prerequisits:

There are no specific prerequisites for this course. Basic knowledge of social science and humanities theories and research methods, especially in migration studies, is recommended.

Content (Syllabus outline):

1. The role of methodology in migration research (conceptual foundations of qualitative and quantitative approaches, the connection between methodology, theoretical concepts and research questions, the methodological specificity of migration research)
2. Ethical commitments in migration research (the principle of “do no harm” and related key ethical principles, the concept of “vulnerable groups,” reflexivity of positionalities in narration, formal ethical codes and processes of ethical review)
3. Basics of qualitative migration research (a set of the most common methods, the link between method selection and research questions, the fetishization of categorization in migration research, methodological nationalism)
4. The interview method (types of interviews – structured, semi-structured, unstructured, narrative; limitations of interviews; interview analysis)
5. The observation method (non-participant observation, participant observation, participant observation in relation to the anthropological “field” and ethnography, ethical challenges of participant observation, the issue of comparability)

Readings:

• Banjac, M. (2020). Uvod v kvalitativne metode zbiranja podatkov. Založba FDV. https://www.fdv.uni-lj.si/docs/default-source/zalozba/banjac-marinko—uvod-v-kvalitativne-metode-zbiranja-podatkov-(final)f7d1c0304f2c67bc8e26ff00008e8d04.pdf
• Bofulin, M. (2016). Daleč doma. Migracije iz Ljudske republike Kitajske v Slovenijo. Ljubljana: Založba ZRC.
• Bofulin, M. in Rogelja Caf, N. (2017). Metodološki izzivi preučevanj mobilnih posameznikov in skupin v 21. stoletju : med migranti, turisti in popotniki. In Kalc A., Žitnik Serafin J. (Eds.). Raziskovanje slovenskega izseljenstva : vidiki, pristopi, vsebine (pp. 115-136)
• Bernard, H. R. (2011). Unstructured and semi structured interviewing. In Research methods in anthropology (pp. 156–172). Sage.
• Buscher, M., Urry, J., & Witchger, K. (Eds.). (2010). Mobile methods. London, England: Routledge.
• Cerwonka, A., & Malkki, L. H. (2007). Improvising theory: Process and temporality in ethnographic fieldwork. University of Chicago Press.
• Della Puppa, Francesco (2024). Practicing multi-sited ethnography: reflections, strategies, and tools for qualitative research on transnational migration. In Dve domovini / Two Homelands. 60: 181-202.
• Atkinson, R. (1998). The life story interview. London: Sage.
• Marcus E. George. (1995). Ethnography in/of the World System: The Emergence of Multi-Sited Ethnography. In Annual Review of Anthropology 24:95-117.
• Robben, A. C. G. M., & Sluka, J. A. (Eds.). (2012). Ethnographic fieldwork: An anthropological reader (2nd ed.). Wiley-Blackwell.
• Rogelja, Natasa. (2015). “Sail away”: the biographical approach as a tool to understand the concept of temporarily unbelonging. In Dve domovini / Two Homelands. 42: 69-80.

Objectives and competences:

Objectives:
The course offers an overview and possible applications of the most important qualitative methods used in migration research. Through lectures, seminars, and a seminar paper, it will equip doctoral students to understand the relationship between method selection and the impact of that choice on the course of research. Emphasis will be placed on a solid understanding of in-depth and narrative interview methods, participant observation (and its connection to ethnographic research), while also addressing more innovative methods adapted to mobile individuals and groups. In reviewing the methods, we will reflect on what is specific to the methodology of migration research, and in this context address the ethical dimensions of such research. We will present guidelines for ethical research at the institutional, disciplinary, and other levels (e.g., in projects funded by the European Commission), and discuss the most common ones.

General competences:

• Students will be able to critically approach research topics and methods.
• They will acquire academic written and oral expression.
• They will be capable of independently planning and conducting research.

Subject-specific competences:

• They will be familiar with different qualitative research methods in migration studies.
• They will understand the differences between and uses of qualitative and quantitative methods.
• They will develop a critical approach to understanding the relationship between methods and theoretical frameworks.
• They will be able to recognize and respond to ethical dilemmas in migration research.
• They will understand the role of methodology in the research process.
• They will be able to apply appropriate methods in their own doctoral dissertation.

Intended learning outcomes:

Students will be able to:

• Prepare a written assignment based on an application of a selected methodological approach
• Present their written assignment using contemporary presentation techniques.
• Discuss and clearly articulate their position in relation to selected methodological approaches and frameworks.
• Apply ethical commitments in both research and the presentation of scientific results.

Learning and teaching methods:

Types of learning/teaching:

• Frontal teaching
• Work in smaller groups or pair work
• Independent students work
• e-learning

Teaching methods:

• Explanation
• Conversation/discussion/debate
• Work with texts
• Case studies
• Different presentation
• Field work (e.g. company visits)
• Inviting guests from companies

Assessment:

• 40 % Long written assignments
• 20 % Presentations
• 40 % Final examination (written/oral)

Lecturer’s references:

• Bofulin, M. (2016). Daleč doma: Migracije iz LR Kitajske v Slovenijo. Založba ZRC SAZU.
• Bofulin, Martina, Kozorog, Miha. (2025). »Ugotoviš, kaj vse se da«: ekonomske priložnosti in strategije priseljenih državljanov Slovenije v Ljudski republiki Kitajski. Dve domovini : razprave o izseljenstvu, 62, 183-204. DOI: 10.3986/2025.2.10.
• Bofulin, M. (2025). Local diaspora engagement and emigration as a cultural resource: The case of a Europe-bound sending area in Southeast China. In M. Thunø (Ed.), Handbook of Chinese migration to Europe (pp. 297–323). Brill.
• Rogelja, N. (2015). “Sail away “: the biographical approach as a tool to understand the concept of temporarily unbelonging. In Dve domovini / Two Homelands. 42: 69-80.
• Bofulin, M. in Rogelja Caf, N. (2017). Metodološki izzivi preučevanj mobilnih posameznikov in skupin v 21. stoletju : med migranti, turisti in popotniki. In Kalc A., Žitnik Serafin J. (Eds.). Raziskovanje slovenskega izseljenstva : vidiki, pristopi, vsebine (pp. 115-136)
• Rogelja Caf, N. (2023). I wonder how the story ends : the circular stillness of maritime lifestyle migrants. Mobility humanities. 2 (2): 49-69. https://journal-mobilityhumanities.com/?ckattempt=1&uid=83&mod=document&pageid=1, DOI: 10.23090/MH.2023.07.2.2.049