Qualitative research is a mode of systemic inquiry that utilizes various interpretive and critical genres to understand- and often change- complex social phenomena. This course examines the field of qualitative inquiry focusing on the epistemological and practical aspects of a plethora of data gathering techniques such as ethnography, phenomenology, oral history, participatory action research, focus groups, program evaluation and personal interviews. The course further introduces students to critical data interpretive approaches involving data coding and analyses rooted in social justice education: postcolonial, postmodern, and decolonizing frames, feminist theory and praxes, Indigenous knowledges, critical discourse analysis, critical race theory and queer analysis. This is a writing and data gathering intensive course.