TY - CHAP

T1 - Digital naturalism

T2 - Ethnography in networked worlds

AU - Dellwing, Michael

PY - 2021/5/27

Y1 - 2021/5/27

N2 - The chapter discusses ethnography in online contexts through the frame of ethnographic naturalism. As an adaptive approach that seeks to stay open to analyzing local orders, rather than imposing its own, ethnography generally does not come with a set blueprint of method and necessary practices; the research field makes flexible and often spontaneous reorientation necessary as a matter of course. In fields heavy on digital and online interaction, this means adapting to the specific structures of online communication as they are found in the local and diverse spaces under study. Therefore, the chapter argues that there is no such thing as a specific “online ethnography”, as there is no such thing as a specific ethnography. As with all ethnographic endeavors, practices and approaches remain diverse, flexible, and attuned to the structures under study.

AB - The chapter discusses ethnography in online contexts through the frame of ethnographic naturalism. As an adaptive approach that seeks to stay open to analyzing local orders, rather than imposing its own, ethnography generally does not come with a set blueprint of method and necessary practices; the research field makes flexible and often spontaneous reorientation necessary as a matter of course. In fields heavy on digital and online interaction, this means adapting to the specific structures of online communication as they are found in the local and diverse spaces under study. Therefore, the chapter argues that there is no such thing as a specific “online ethnography”, as there is no such thing as a specific ethnography. As with all ethnographic endeavors, practices and approaches remain diverse, flexible, and attuned to the structures under study.

KW - Transdisciplinary studies

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85110996973&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/6fad658b-3b95-3823-857a-f52238467654/

U2 - 10.4324/9780429276767-38

DO - 10.4324/9780429276767-38

M3 - Chapter

AN - SCOPUS:85110996973

SN - 9780367227708

SP - 381

EP - 390

BT - The Routledge International Handbook of Interactionism

A2 - vom Lehn, Dirk

A2 - Ruiz-Junco, Natalia

A2 - Gibson, Will

PB - Taylor and Francis Inc.

CY - London

ER -