POLS 212 Mobilizing Voters: Ethnographic Field Research

This community-based learning course introduces advanced undergraduates (sophomores juniors and seniors) to the study of voter mobilization via an ethnographic research project in Los Angeles. As part of the Fall congressional elections students will partner with community organizations in Los Angeles that are developing non-partisan Get Out the Vote (GOTV) initiatives. These organizations are based primarily in Latino/a and Asian-American communities. Students will study and evaluate these GOTV initiatives with the goal of analyzing assessing and reporting back on best practices in GOTV initiatives especially in ethnic minority communities. Course time will be divided between the classroom and the field. Students will receive training in and learn to critically evaluate field research methods-especially in the area of qualitative ethnographic research (interviews and observations). Students will also learn about the strategies practices and pitfalls of voter mobilization practices in urban communities. Offered Fall semester in even-years to coincide with the national elections. Not open to frosh. Permission of instructor required.