Ethnography and Cultural Sustainability April 28, 2011

Instructors: Gregory L. Sharrow, VFC Director of Education and Andy Kolovos, VFC Archivist.

Ethnography — in particular participant observation and interviewing — offers a means to explore the ways in which people understand and experience the world, and brings into view the multiple perspectives that define community. In the context of cultural sustainability, ethnographic research methods provide important tools for working with communities to understand what people most value about the places in which they live, and to identify and explore the key cultural practices that define who they are.

Intended for students, community members, staff members of non-profit cultural, community and social-service agencies interested in exploring the inner workings of communities and organizations.

In this day-long class we outline the ethnographic method for drawing out the keepers of community knowledge and capturing the important stories of everyday life. The class is structured around discussion, viewing and listening to ethnographic documentaries, and hands-on experience visiting pre-arranged field observation sites in the village of Middlebury. The class concludes with time for additional discussion and reflection.

Official Website: http://www.vermontfolklifecenter.org/education/cultural-sustainability/workshops.php