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Member rate 2,713.79 zł
Non-Member rate 5,427.58 zł
Save 221.03 zł Loyalty discount applied automatically*
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* If you attended a qualifying previous Methods School in 2025 or 2026, you qualify for 221.03 zł off your course fee.
Online: 3 – 4 September, 09:00 – 12:30 CEST
Jagiellonian University: 8 – 11 September
Political ethnography is a broad, interdisciplinary research strategy that generates contextual knowledge through the immersion of the researcher into the world(s) they study. If you remember one thing from this course, it should be: ethnography = immersion. ‘Political ethnography’ is a compound term that combines ‘politics’ and ‘ethnography’, and throughout the course we will explore both concepts and how they intersect within research methods and methodology.
The five course days are organised around the themes of situating, doing, and writing ethnography. We will engage with methodological debates, read and analyse ethnographic texts, and work through reflection and writing exercises connected to your individual research projects. Each day includes a short writing assignment. You may obtain an additional ECTS credit by completing an extra assignment at the end of the course. All assigned readings should be completed before class.
3 ECTS credits awarded for engaging fully in class activities.
1 additional ECTS credit awarded for completing a post-course assignment.
Kristin Anabel Eggeling works at the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs and the University of Copenhagen. She teaches and writes about international politics, diplomacy, technology, culture, and ethnographic methods in international relations. Kristin has conducted ethnographic research in the Middle East, Central Asia, Europe, and the United States. In 2023, she received the Anthony Deos Early Career Award for the emerging scholar in Diplomatic Studies from the International Studies Association (ISA). Her work has received additional international recognition and has been published in leading journals, including the European Journal of International Relations, International Political Sociology, Review of International Studies, Global Studies Quarterly, Millennium, Geopolitics, and Qualitative Research.
Ethnography literally means the ‘writing’ (-graphy) of ‘culture’ (ethnos), and the ethnography component of political ethnography may refer to a mode of analysis, a set of methods for generating data, and a way of writing academic text.
The political part of political ethnography can either indicate the substantial focus of the project or its constitutive dynamics. In practice, the two are often intertwined, which calls for heightened reflexivity and care. Overall, this course provides a space to learn about—and experiment with—what it means to study politics and power ethnographically.
Day 1 (online) What is ethnography and what is political about it?
Day 2 (online) Ethnographic methods
Day 3 (in person) Ethnographic writing
Day 4 (in person) Ethnographic sensibilities
Day 5 (in person) Frictions and futures of ethnographic research in political science
Throughout the course, you will work with real-world data and case studies, and will be encouraged to apply the methods to your own research interests.
The course is structured into five live sessions, each lasting three hours. The first two sessions will take place from Thursday 3 – Friday 4 September, online. The remaining three sessions will take place on Tuesday 8 – Thursday 10 September at Jagiellonian University. You must attend all sessions to complete the course.
Over the duration of the course, it will be possible to have one-on-one consultations with your instructor, which will offer an additional opportunity for feedback and guidance on your research project.
The course is designed at an intermediate level.
This course requires meaningful engagement from you. It is conceived with the intent of us exploring together what ethnographic research into politics and power looks like. Readings should be read ahead of sessions and participants need to be willing to put in extra time between or after sessions for writing, trying out, and reflection. Like any method, ethnography can only be learned by being done.
To receive 3 ECTS, you must complete and post online all five writing exercises assigned for each course day. To receive 4 ECTS, you must complete an additional assignment at the end of the course. According to the ECTS User Guide (European Commission, 2015), the norm for 1 ECTS corresponds to 25–30 hours of work. We will spend 15 hours together; the remaining time will be devoted to preparation (especially the assigned readings) and writing.
As a participant in this course, you will engage in a variety of learning activities designed to deepen your understanding and mastery of the subject matter. While the cornerstone of your learning experience will be the daily live teaching sessions, which total three hours each day across the five days of the course, your learning commitment extends beyond these sessions.
Upon payment and registration for the course, you will gain access to our Learning Management System (LMS) approximately two weeks before the course start date. Here, you will have access to course materials such as pre-course readings. The time commitment required to familiarise yourself with the content and complete any pre-course tasks is estimated to be approximately 20 hours per week, 40 hours in total, leading up to the start date.
During the course week, you are expected to dedicate approximately two-three hours per day to prepare and work on assignments.
Each course offers the opportunity to be awarded three ECTS credits. Should you wish to earn a 4th credit, you will need to complete a post-course assignment, which will involve approximately 25 hours of work.
This comprehensive approach ensures that you not only attend the live sessions but also engage deeply with the course material, participate actively, and complete assessments to solidify your learning.
This course description may be subject to subsequent adaptations (e.g. taking into account new developments in the field, participant demands, group size, etc.). Registered participants will be informed at the time of change.
By registering for this course, you confirm that you possess the knowledge required to follow it. The instructor will not teach these prerequisite items. If in doubt, please contact us before registering.