Urban Territories 1 provides an introduction to research methodology, particularly qualitative and specifically ethnographic approaches to empirical social research on different ways of studying social spaces relevant to the context of the annual theme for Urban Design Project 1 (UDP1).
In an alternating rhythm of a three-hour lecture and a two-hour seminar, practice-oriented theoretical perspectives and methodological approaches to the scientific exploration of social spaces are elaborated. The lecture introduces the different main topics. The seminar serves to deepen the respective contents, give room for the discussion of readings and the testing of methods on the material collected by the students in different groups during the semester in UDP1.
The module deals with conceptual and methodological approaches to social spaces and explores different methods of collecting, documenting, analyzing and interpreting data in theoretical and practical confrontation. The goal of the module is to coherently develop and communicate this iterative research process throughout the semester, and to reassemble and reflect on it in the semester submission in the form of a portfolio.
Intensive reading and continuous independent study are a prerequisite for active participation in the module. Required reading, supplementary and in-depth literature will be made available on Moodle. Students are expected to develop their individual motives, epistemological interests and research questions, to collect, document, evaluate and interpret their own data.