Workshop on qualitative Methods in Sociology and religious Studies

On the 7th, 8th, 9th December 2006, a Workshop will be held on qualitative Methods in Sociology and religious Studies. This Workshop is organized with the contribution of the SSS's committee, "Religion and Society", and the SGR's (Schweizerische Gesellschaft für Religionswissenschaft) Committee.
Workshop on qualitative Methods in Sociology and religious Studies
Speakers, Susan Palmer and Lea Sgier

The Workshop on qualitative methods in Sociology and religious Studies is divided into two parts and has two main objectives. It offers a comprehensive training in qualitative and ethnographic approach and proposes a study of new religious movements (NRM).

With empirical material and concrete Case Studies, this Workshop will be concerned with the issue of data collection. It will then address the problematic of data analysis and will thus make use of studies of the Raelian movement and other new religious movements (NRM).


The Workshop is open to all research Fellows, and students who are interested in qualitative methods in religious Studies. Participants will be welcomed to address and share about their own research.

University of Lausanne, unitheque building, Room 4202 :

Thursday 7th December
9.00 - 15.30 Workshop on qualitative interviewing (Case Study taken from Sociology of religions) Lea Sgier

16.00-17.30 Conference "Adoring the Aliens: Is the Raelian Movement a "real" religion?" Susan J. Palmer

18.00-19.30 Committee Religion and Society

Friday 8th December
9.00-17.00 Workshop on Researching New Religious Movements: Qualitative Methods in Practice (I) Susan J. Palmer

Saturday 9th December
9.00-12.00 Workshop on Researching New Religious Movements: Qualitative Methods in Practice (II) Susan J. Palmer

Access map

Susan J. Palmer is Professor in religious Studies at Dawson College in Montreal, and Adjunct Professor at Concordia University. She is a specialist in ethnographic methods and in new religious movements. Her present research is concerned about the apocalyptic new religious movements in Quebec. She is also a contributor to a study on the Falun Gong movement held by the professor David Owenby, University of Montreal.

She is the author of numerous important studies and books:

- Aliens adored : Rael's UFO religion, New Brunswick, N.J. : Rutgers University Press, 2004.
- Millennium, Messiahs, and Mayhem: Contemporary Apocalyptic Movements (Robbins T. et Susan Palmer eds), New York : Routledge, 1997.
- Moon sisters, Krishna mothers, Rajneesh lovers: women's roles in new religions. Syracuse NY: Syracuse University Press, 1994.

Lea Sgier is a political scientist, and Ph.D. of Geneva's University political science department. She is a lecturer on women's political representation in the master program of gender studies. She is an expert in qualitative interviewing in which she has lectured at the Essex Summer School in Social Science Data analysis and Collection. She is also a specialist in social sciences methodological interpretation.
She is the author of :

- Entre normes et structures : égalité, citoyenneté, genre, in Études et recherches, no 38,Genève : Univ. de Genève Département de science politique Faculté des sciences économiques et sociales, cop. 1998.
- « Le nouvel individualisme » (avec Matthias Brunner), in Changements de valeurs et nouveaux clivages politiques en Suisse, Paris (etc.) : Ed. L'Harmattan, 2002, p. 135-178.

Inscription: Please fill in the application form found below (Formulaire d'inscription.pdf) and send it back to the contact.
The workshop will be limited to twenty five participants with the exception of Susan J. Palmer's conference "Adoring the aliens." Inscriptions will be treated by order of arrival.

Costs : 50.- CHF for total participation
The Workshop is free for students, members of "Religion and Society", as well as for the OSR's research Fellows.
Language: Workshops with Lea Sgier will be held in French, and Workshops with Susan J. Palm will be held in English.

Access Map

Lodging:
We welcome you to contact these lodging facilities:
Youth Hostel de Lausanne
Hotel Elite

Organizers: "Religion and Society"'s research committee (part of the SSS and the SGR) and the ORS.

Contact :
Philippe Gilbert
Tel. +41 21 692 27 02
Fax +41 21 692 27 25
www.unil.ch/ors

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