Talking with people is an indispensable method of discovery in the social sciences. Historians and sociologists conduct interviews to glean insights about personal experiences and global events alike. Economists and political scientists deploy surveys to understand how people reason their way through the interactions they encounter and the institutions they inhabit. Anthropologists and psychologists observe real-time dialogue to uncover the linguistic patterns that sustain (or transform!) human cultures and societies. But what makes those methods distinctive from the conversations in which we all participate in our everyday lives already? And how might some of the most illuminating strategies used by professional social scientists to dissect dialogue be adapted for students of all ages and abilities?

This two-day seminar will immerse educators in the art and science of conversation-based approaches to social research—with plentiful opportunities for conversation, of course! We’ll spend our first morning diving deep into interview methods, learning how to craft questions and leverage nonverbal cues in ways that get our conversation partners talking. In the afternoon, I’ll invite several of my students to join us for breakout discussions as we envision ways to incorporate interview research into your home classrooms. Then, for our second session, we’ll sample a wider range of conversational methods: surveys, oral histories, ethnography, focus groups, and more. With that platter of research possibilities in mind, we’ll conclude with an open-ended dialogue about anything else on participants’ minds—from fostering civic dialogue in general to the specifics of integrating quantitative elements into formal interview analysis. All teachers from all disciplines are welcome, whether you specialize in social studies or not!