300413 Qualitative Methods (S) (SoSe 2009)

Dear students,

you have enrolled in my seminar "Qualitative Methods" for the summer
term 2009. Unfortunately I shall be unable to teach the course due to
other obligations. On April 1st I shall start to act as Managing
Director of the Zentrum für Interdisziplinäre Forschung (ZiF) -
additionally to my job as director of the Graduate School in History and
Sociology. Both jobs together just don't leave time for teaching
activities. I could not foresee this development and I apologize for any
inconveniences and disappointments.

There is, however, a solution, which I think is quite convincing. A
former doctoral student of mine, Heike Greschke, will teach a course in
qualitative methods which will be recognized as the obligatory BGHS
methods seminar. Heike has finished her doctorate in 2007 and her
doctoral thesis "Daheim in www.cibervalle.com - Ethnographie einer
globalen Lebenswelt" was recently awarded our department's prize for the
best thesis in 2007.

Heike will more or less take over the proposed schedule of the seminar:
There will be three preliminary meetings during summer term, on Wedneday

• June 10th
• June 24th
• July 22nd

at 2-4 p.m., in room K4-129. The ensuing compact seminar will take place
on July 27th-29th.

Heike plans to organize the seminar by way of following the course and
steps of a qualitative study, i.e.: access to the field, data
collection, data processing and so on. Participants will be invited to
make contributions to the seminar according to the respective stage of
their own study.

My suggestion is that you get in touch with Heike
(heike.greschke@uni-bielefeld.de), send her a sketch of your ongoing
work and let her know your ideas and preferences so that she can prepare
the seminar in such a way that it will meet your needs. The language of
the seminar will be a mixture of German and English, every participant
can use the language he/she wishes.

I would kindly ask you to attend the seminar in the same way as you
would have done if I would have been the leader. In any case I plan to
participate during one or two days of the compact seminar.

With my very best wishes,

Jörg Bergmann

Prof. Dr. Jörg Bergmann
Director
Bielefeld Graduate School in History and Sociology
Bielefeld University
P.O. Box 10 01 31
D-33501 Bielefeld

Phone: 0651-106-6524