Author: ubchenry

Introduction : Stories, Ethnographies, and Personal Experiences

Upon initial examination, analysis—something anthropologists strive to achieve—may appear distinct from storytelling. For example, the latter is geared towards eliciting emotions, while the former exudes an aura of detachment and indifference–or as Geertz (1988, 2) describes the common understanding of ethnography, “Good anthropological texts are plain texts, unpretending”.

Yet, upon closer inspection, an affinity between stories and analyses becomes apparent. Drawing on her insights from a course led by Renato Rosaldo at Stanford, Kirin Narayan (2012, 8) contends that stories possess inherent analytical qualities, and within the sequence of reasoning, analysis takes on a narrative structure. Consequently, it is hardly surprising that ethnographers, despite the deeply analytical nature of their accounts, employ narrative forms and methods that storytellers have long embraced in their craft. 

Tap Essay

  Tap essay is a unique form of digital storytelling introduced by fiction writer Robin Sloan in his 2012 essay Fish which exploresthe distinction between “liking something on the internet and loving something on the internet” (Sloan, 2022). This narrative

Flash Ethnography

Classic ethnographic accounts are usually long. Built upon the idea of flash fiction, Stone and McGranahan (2020) describe flash Ethnography as a form of narrative that is intended to be brief and intense, stripped of excess. The genre has a

(Ethno)graphic Novels

I have discussed sketches and drawings in a separate module that you can find here. We may think of graphic novels as the combination of drawings and text, but Stacy Leigh Pigg (2015) argues that graphic novels occupy a distinctive

Ethnographic Fiction

Although the 1970s marks the turn towards experimenting with ethnographic forms, the practice of writing ethnographic fiction has a long history within the discipline. In her concise historical survey of ethnographic fiction, Narayan (1999, 136) identifies Adolph Bandelier’s 1890 novel,

Introduction: Many Variations of Digital Ethnography

Until recently, the extension of the anthropological field to include online experiences, which began in the 1990s (Fischer 2007), appeared relatively new. Consequently, anthropologists did not unanimously agree on the appropriate methodological strategy and approach for studying online culture. Ethnographers’

The History of Ethnographic Methodologies

  Typically, we perceive theory as an ongoing progression of scholarly discussions and debates. Consequently, we readily acknowledge that comprehending theory necessitates an examination of its historical roots, encompassing both internal and external disciplinary influences. Conversely, when it comes to

Ethnography, the ‘Other’ and Metaphysics of Presence

Anthropology’s delayed interest in the internet and digital culture, compared to disciplines like sociology and other social sciences, can be attributed to the notion described by Michel-Rolph Trouillot (2003) as the relation between the discipline and the “savage slot.” According

Digital Ethnography: a (non-)linear history

  To understand the development of ethnographic methods within digital anthropology, I’d like to suggest that we look at a few examples of research and scholarly work in digital anthropology conducted in different decades starting from the 1990s when anthropology

Digital Ethngoraphy, Ethnographic Versatility, and Creativity

Ethnography, as a methodology, is known for its versatility, as it adapts to the specific context, available tools, and research topics at hand. Throughout its history, ethnography has continuously evolved in response to the changing circumstances that shape its practice.

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