Preserving the craft: reflections on teaching an interpretive methods spring school

Boswell, John, Corbett, Jack, Rhodes, R.A.W. and Metze, Tamara (2025) Preserving the craft: reflections on teaching an interpretive methods spring school. In, Einfeld, Colette and Sullivan, Helen (eds.) How to Conduct Interpretive Research: Insights for Students and Researchers. 1 ed. Cheltenham. Edward Elgar Publishing, pp. 123-133.

Abstract

Every year since 2017 - apart from a brief COVID-induced hiatus - we have taught a 'Spring School on Interpretive Political Science' via the National Centre for Research Methods at Southampton. It is an intensive 3-day event with 15 to 20 PhDs and early-career attendees, with some 4 to 6 faculty involved in running events. The intensive course model stems from the naturalist science tradition - at these workshops, participants add ‘tools’ to their ‘skill set’. It is an awkward fit for those of us operating in the interpretive orientation. In this chapter, we reflect on the challenges and rewards. We draw on our own interpretations, and on the formal and informal feedback provided to us by students and alumni. We think the event has four values. First, it is a 'safe space' that reassures isolated or conflicted newcomers of the legitimacy of this craft. Second, it offers catharsis, allowing participants to express fears and doubts about pursuing a research career. Third, it helps participants to begin building a network of like-minded but equally isolated colleagues across disparate institutions and countries. Last, it helps pass on experiential knowledge, not just tools., Its key value, in other words, lies in its capacity to support the interpretive study of politics and policy (see Schwartz-Shea 2021; Wagenaar and Bartels forthcoming). At heart, we believe that structured training opportunities are a key means of preserving this important craft.

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Contributors

Author: John Boswell

Author: R.A.W. Rhodes

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