2. Virtual Ethnography
âwe learn about the Internet by immersing ourselves in
it and conducting our ethnography using it, as well
as talking with people about it, watching them use it
and seeing it manifest in other social settingsâ Hine
⢠Investigates the ways in which uses of the Internet become socially
meaningful.
⢠Can involve different methods: content analysis, analysis of online
interactions and/or interviews with participants
⢠Considers how the âvirtualâ and the ârealâ worlds relate to one
another.
⢠Should be reflective and reflexive
4. Thick Descriptions (Geertz)
;)
⢠Winking isnât just something your eye does
⢠Itâs culturally embedded
⢠Itâs only the thick description of the context and
culture that lets us understand the role of the wink in
sharing a conspiracy, or even parodying another
sharing conspiracy.
⢠What âthe nativesâ think they are up to
5. Virtual Ethnography Activity
⢠Choose an online community to participate in
â YouTube communities (Lucielovesyouu,
Geriatric1927)
â Facebook group
â Online forum
⢠Engage with the community and contribute
some posts
⢠Write a thick description for your brief
engagement with this community
6. Things to look out for? Micro-
interactions
ď Reciprocity in communication
ď coordination of turn taking in conversation
ď Communication as âgiftâ exchange
ď Ritualised behaviour
ď openings and closings
ď Defining the âmeaningâ of the communicative
space
ď What behaviours are allowed/expected/norms
ď How are these norms enforced
7. Things to look out for -
ethnography
⢠Subjective experience
â Your experience of engaging with the community
â Your feelings or expectations associated with
ongoing involvement
â Your relationship to techno-social ideologies
âmaking the strange familiar and the familiar
strangeâ
8. Feedback Session
What counts as âthickâ description?
Reflexivity
⢠how do your own preconceptions influence your
interpretation/participation?
Reflection and subjective experience
⢠Time element â how long does it take to become
familiar with online practices?
⢠Is it possible or desirable to maintain
familiarity/strangeness?
9. References
Garcia, A.C., Standlee, J. B., & Cui, Y. (2009).
Ethnographic approaches to the Internet and
computer-mediated communication. Journal of
Contemporary Ethnography, 38(1), 52â84.
Geertz, C. (1973) "Thick Description: Toward an
Interpretive Theory of Culture". In The Interpretation
of Cultures: Selected Essays. New York: Basic Books,
pp. 3-30.
Hine, C. (2000) Virtual Ethnography. London: Sage.