While we are working on the WWW, we will be developing skills in ethnographic research. Ethnography is a research tool that, when used systematically, enables us to expand the boundaries of our own experiences and to apprehend the world from the viewpoints of others. One goal of ethnography is to describe a culture or community from the perspective of the persons who make up that culture or community. Ethnography enables us to examine fundamental aspects of human experience. In sum, the cultural behavior, cultural knowledge, and cultural artifacts of Judaism will become available to us.
Ethnography proceeds by inductive thinking.
Some scholars believe that all liberally educated students should develop skills in ethnography. These skills hone our abilities to observe our environment, to listen to others, and to report on what we have seen and heard. While we are working with the text, Writing Ethnographic Fieldnotes , we will gain an ever greater appreciation for the value of ethnography in enabling us to better understand Judaism. The final component in the course will consist of research on individual research projects and communication about these projects with fellow students in the class. Throughout the semester, students will have found particular themes or questions of special interest to them.