Rapid Rural Appraisal: Teaching Undergraduates Field Research in Rural México

Abstract

Principles of ethnographic research, rural sociology, and interpersonal communication formed the basis of a collaborative study between Mexican and/or Hispanic and U.S. undergraduates. Students from both cultures learned to apply principles of qualitative research under the direction of faculty from the Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey and Ohio University. Rapid rural appraisal, a methodology appropriate for multidisciplinary research, was used to assess the attitudes of a rural population relative to socioeconomic and political issues. Undergraduates learned principles of field research within the context of a practical and informative pedagogical exercise. © 2003, Sage Publications. All rights reserved.