Monday 19 November 2012

Online/Offline Ethnography

Until I read Hine's article about ethnography and the internet, I only thought about ethnographic research online as happening online. I never really considered contextualizing internet ethnography offline as well. Hine, however, made it seem like perfect sense.

I really liked the example that Hine's used in regards to the research conducted by Max Forte (2005). I found it really interesting how he volunteered to develop websites in order to explain the cause of the resurgence of aboriginal identity in the Caribbean. I found it interesting that he not only helped to create the website as an outsider, most likely interpreting the needs of the community, and thus creating their online identity. Thus as Hine's article shows, many identities were brought together through this particular website.

I think that with the changing environment in regards to how we interact will change the way that ethnographic research works. This, for me, was a really interesting example that made me rethink how ethnographic research can be framed in terms of method.

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