Methodologies and Analytical Study of Religion
Friday, November 22, 1:00 – 5:00 p.m.
In its third year, SORAAAD will address a long over due need to focus on the methodologies with which the field observes and analyzes the range of activity that falls loosely within or overlaps with religious experiences or things deemed special and social responses to and conflicts regarding things designated sacred.
SORAAAD will focus on the selection, design, and implementation of qualitative and quantitative research methodologies, as well as responsible ways to use quantitative and qualitative research generated by other scholars outside of the study of religion.
SORAAAD’s Methodologies and the Analytical Study of Religion will be of particular interest for graduate students and established scholars who already enact social science and critical humanities research methodologies, who want to implement newer or different methodologies, or who need to integrate existing social science and critical humanities research outside of religion (Sociology, Anthropology, Cognitive Science, Critical and Social Theories) into their research design, data acquisition and analysis.
For questions about or to reserve space in the workshop send an email to [email protected]
Methodologies and Analytical Study of Religion
Introduction (1:00 -1:10)
Ipsita Chatterjea – Presider – “SORAAAD Workshop Year Three and ‘Methodologies and the Analytical Study of Religion.’”
Part One: Methodologies and the Analytical Study of Religion .
(1:10-2:50) Four established scholars will discuss particular methodologies, techniques and their experiences with implementation in their respective studies of religious phenomena.
Speakers (Final Order to be determined by discussion amongst speakers):
Steven Engler Mount Royal University on Grounded Theory
Bron Taylor, University of Florida, on Ethnography
Michael Stausberg University of Bergen on Free Listing and Structured Observation.
Kocku von Stuckrad University of Groningen on Discourse Analysis.
Workshop Break (2:50 – 3:30)
The Workshop break is by design long enough to allow a break and for participants to talk to one another without a moderator as well as to enable follow up questions for the speakers for part one and pre-presentation questions for the speakers for part two.
Part Two: Interdisciplinary Religious Research: Design, Implementation, and Collaboration
Presiding: Randy Reed 3:30-3:35
Introductory Remarks – Ann Taves. 3:35-3:40
(3:30 – 4:55 p.m.) In this part of the workshop Ann Taves of the University of California, Santa Barbara’s Religion, Experience and Mind Lab Group will introduce the mission of the group and the work of three associated researchers: Michael Kinsella (University of California – Santa Barbara), Philip Deslippe (University of California – Santa Barbara) and John Thibdeau (University of Colorado Boulder) They will in turn discuss their respective experiences of research design, data collection and analysis at the juncture of religion and ethnography, geographic informational science and social psychology and cognitive science.
Business Meeting (4:55-5:00)
The organizing committee wants to thank co-chair Randy Reed, Ann Taves, Michael Stausberg, and Steven Engler and for their work to develop this year’s workshop.
The Study of Religion as an Analytical Discipline (2011- )
2011 – The Study of Religion as an Analytical Discipline
2012 – The Analytical Handling of Norms and Values in the Study of Religion
2013 – Methodologies and the Analytical Study of Religion
SORAAAD Committee Co-Chairs
Randall Styers – Cultural History of the Study of Religion co-chair – AAR
Randy Reed* – Ideological Criticisms of Biblical Studies co-chair- SBL
Rebecca Raphael – The Metacriticism of Biblical Scholarship Consultation co-chair – SBL
Craig Martin – AAR Member
Jens Kreinath* – Critical Theories and Discourses on Religion former Chair, current committee member – AAR
Ipsita Chatterjea* – Sociology of Religion co-chair – AAR
Jacques Berlinerblau – Critical Theories and Discourses on Religion co-chair – AAR
William Arnal – Critical Theories and Discourses on Religion co-chair – AAR
Former Co-Chairs.
Jorunn Jacobsen Buckley * 2011-2012
Greg Alles* 2011
* Founding Co-Chair of the SORAAAD Steering Committee
Note: The full 2013 Program for the workshop with suggested readings for those new to a methodology or technique is posted.
* The concerns and considerations that will ground the afternoon’s discussion of methodology are captured in Stausberg and Engler’s Introduction to the Routledge Handbook on Research Methods on Religion.
* SORAAAD is on Facebook.
* The current and previous programs and other resources are posted on theSORAAAD Website.
