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ETHNOGRAPHIC APPROACHESTO SOCIAL MEDIA

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Positionalityreflexivity (What do I know?)

Membershipinsider/outsider

Accounting for bias/providing an accurate picture(thick description)

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TRIANGULATION Double-checking, supporting findings

Also: to introduce complexity,inconsistencies

Reducing complexity vs. describing &understanding complexity

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Data triangulation At different points in time; in different

spaces; from different informants Investigator triangulation

More than one observer or participantCollaborativeethnography

Methodological triangulation Using the same method on different

occasions or different methods on the sameobject

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Combined levels of triangulation

More than one level of observation andanalysis (individual, group, societal)

Theory triangulation

Applying more than one theoretical frame

in the interpretation

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Margaret Mead: what people say, whatpeople do, and what they say they do are

entirely different things Any form of triangulation at any point of study

Ethnographersreflexivity

What does my research tell me so far? Am Iusing the right method? Are there other sitesthat could give me more information?

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PARTICIPANT

OBSERVATION Behaviours in their natural contexts

Types of data outsiders may simply not (be

allowed to) see/know Questions not answerable with other types of

data

Learning relevancewhat to ask and how to ask it;

what types of data to collect later More in-depth understanding of data; also to

address self-report bias

Problem of reactivityfitting in

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SUMMARY

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Fieldwork

Participant observation

Ethical questions

Field notes The field?

Translocal networks

Culture

Methodological nationalism (e.g. Wimmer, Andreas &Nina Glick Schiller 2002. Methodological nationalism and beyond:Nation-state building, migration and the social sciences. GlobalNetworks2 (4), 301-334.)

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RESEARCH PROCESS Learning process

Empirical evidence

Cf. hypothesis-driven models

Methodological adaptivity and flexibility

Reflexivity Your own position, knowledge, assumptions

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COURSE CONTENT IN BRIEF What is social media?

Definition, characteristics

What is online ethnography?

What kinds of questions are specific to studying onlineenvironments? Learning how to ask how to formulate ethnographic

research questions

Addressing important broader questions What is scientific?What does it mean to be scientificwhen

studying human culture? What is e.g. objectivity? Bigdatadiscussionsa hot topic at the moment

Ethical questions what are the challenges faced by thoseresearching digital culture?

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WHAT TO RETAIN FROM

THIS COURSE Ethnography as an approach

Specificities of online environments, ethical

issues The ability to think ethnographically

How you approach your object of study

How you formulate your research questions

Your own position

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BENEFITS, APPLICATIONS Another approach in your tool kit for

understanding present-day phenomena

Questioning how we produce knowledge Your (future) professional life in e.g. social media

marketing, communication design etc. How do you get to understand who your

audience is? Questioning broad categories such as

womenor men,Dutchpeople Understanding the importance of context

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COURSE PAPER A research proposal on a topic of your own

choice

In the paper, you explain what your topic is,and how you would study it ethnographically You dontneed to worry about presenting

a broad literature review; I am notinterested in seeing how well-read you are

on the topic rather how well youunderstand ethnography as an approach

Max. length 4000 words

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EVALUATION CRITERIA You show an understanding of ethnographic research

You show awareness of possible ethical questions

related to your proposal Clarity: the paper is clearly written, easy to follow and

proceeds logically

Making use of class discussions

Extra points for originality

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Deadline: June 23, 2014

Please submit a hard copy! Office D220/pigeonhole, 2ndfloor in Dante

By snail mail:

Department of Culture Studies

Tilburg University

PO Box 90153

5000 LE TIlburg

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COURSE PAPER: POSSIBLE

STRUCTURE Introduction: explaining your topic (what and

why)

Research question (e.g. How do young peopleuse social media for political participation?; Whatkind of norms regulate teenagerschoice of profilepicture on Facebook?; What determineslanguage choice for Facebook updates?.etc.

Your approach (ethnography) and the method(s)you use to answer your research question (how)

Ethical questions (if relevant)

Bibliography

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THANK YOU!

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