Ethnography as Pedagogy: Learning and Teaching in a Religion Department Internship Class

Abstract

Internships and other experiential education courses in Religious Studies departments particularly benefit from careful pedagogical preparation. In addition to the usual components of conceptual content and skills, these courses require knowledge about and understanding of human communication and interaction and organizational function. To be successfully collaborative in the classroom and with Community Partners for learning and service, students and teachers need tools for participant observation, integration of data and response, and reflection. This article proposes and discusses using 10 strategies of ethnography as a pedagogical frame. Developed in an internship class, these ten tools are demonstrated through teacher discussion and reflection and students’ written work. Specific connections to the field of Religious Studies are highlighted. The article is written in the hopes of stimulating additional conversations on how experiential learning and teaching, specifically the use of ethnography, can be effectively and appropriately used in Religious Studies courses.