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Field Report (30%)- Digital Ethnography

Write a 1500 word Field Report based on your journal entries over the course of the semester. The goal of a field report is to bridge the theory you’ve learned in class to the media you’ve been observing and documenting all semester.

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This is a simplified version of a true field report. We are not using many of the more advanced techniques that you will typically find in anthropology classes.
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Digital Ethnography is a research method that involves the study of online communities, cultures, and practices through immersive observation and interaction within digital environments. Unlike traditional ethnography, which typically focuses on physical spaces and face-to-face interactions, digital ethnography explores how people create, communicate, and maintain cultural practices in virtual spaces such as social media platforms, online forums, and virtual worlds. This approach not only considers the content shared within these spaces but also the technological frameworks that shape how interactions occur, such as algorithms, platform design, and digital affordances.

Two major works that exemplify digital ethnography are Hanging Out, Messing Around, and Geeking Out: Kids Living and Learning with New Media by Mizuko Ito et al., which investigates how young people engage with digital media in their everyday lives, and Coming of Age in Second Life: An Anthropologist Explores the Virtually Human by Tom Boellstorff, which offers an in-depth study of the virtual world of Second Life, exploring how identity, culture, and community are constructed in a purely digital environment. These works have laid significant groundwork for understanding how digital spaces influence and reflect broader social and cultural phenomena.

Format & Structure for your Field Report

Objective:

The goal of this assignment is to conduct an in-depth digital ethnography of an online community or media object. You will explore the cultural practices, interactions, and technological influences that shape this community. Through this project, you’ll apply theoretical concepts from the course and develop critical insights into the relationship between technology and culture.

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Use at least three sources from class and be sure to critically engage with those sources. You’ll likely need other sources as well, but having at least three from class is critical to the success of your paper.

Assignment Guidelines:

  1. Topic Selection:
    • Choose an online community, platform, or media object that interests you. This could be anything from a specific subreddit, a YouTube channel, a TikTok trend, an Instagram influencer, a Discord server, a multiplayer game community, or any other digital space where people gather and interact.
    • Your choice should reflect a space where meaningful cultural exchanges occur and where the technology or platform significantly influences these interactions.
  2. Theoretical Background

      3. Ground your observations in the theoretical frameworks and concepts we have discussed throughout the course. Whether you choose a traditional written report or a creative format for your final submission, the following guidelines must be adhered to:

      Early Integration of Theory:

    1. From the outset of your project, begin by identifying the key theories and concepts from our class readings that are relevant to your chosen media object or online community. This could include, for example, Marcuse’s critique of technological rationality, McLuhan’s concept of media as extensions of human faculties, or Deleuze’s ideas on control societies.
    2. In your initial research and field journal entries, explicitly reference these theories as you describe your observations. This will help you to frame your study within the broader academic discourse and guide your analysis as you move forward.

      3. Application and Critical Engagement:

    3. Use the theories from our class readings as lenses through which to view your observations. Consider how these theories help you understand the behaviors, interactions, and cultural practices within the digital space you are studying.
    4. Be critical in your application of theory. As you gather data, think about whether the theoretical concepts you are using are fully applicable to your observations. Are there aspects of the theory that resonate strongly with what you are seeing? Are there elements that don’t seem to fit? Why or why not?

      5. Theory in Dialogue with Observations:

    5. Your project should demonstrate a dynamic relationship between theory and observation. As you analyze your findings, use them to engage with the theory—either confirming, expanding, or challenging it.
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      For example, if you are using McLuhan’s idea of media as extensions, consider how your digital ethnography might reveal new insights about this concept in the context of modern digital platforms. Does your study support McLuhan’s ideas, or does it suggest a need to revise or expand them in light of new technological realities?

  3. Research Focus:
    • Cultural Practices: Investigate the norms, values, and behaviors that define the community. What are the shared beliefs or rituals? How do members of the community communicate and interact with each other?
    • Technological Influence: Analyze how the platform or technology shapes the community. How does the design of the platform affect communication, engagement, and content creation? What role do algorithms, moderation tools, or other technological features play in shaping the community?
    • Content and Interaction: Look at the types of content shared within the community and how it reflects or shapes the community’s identity. Observe interactions, such as comments, likes, shares, or responses, and consider how these contribute to the community's culture.
  4. Methodology:
    • Use a combination of participant observation, content analysis, and interviews (if applicable) to gather data. Engage with the community as both an observer and, if appropriate, as a participant.
    • Keep a detailed field journal where you record your observations, thoughts, and reflections throughout the semester. This will be a critical resource for your final report.
  5. Creative Expression:
    • You are encouraged to be creative in how you present your findings. While a traditional written report is one option, consider alternative formats that might better convey your insights:
      • Multimedia Presentation: Create a video essay, digital story, or documentary that captures the essence of your ethnographic study.
      • Interactive Website or Blog: Develop a website or blog (5 pages minimum & 1000 words) that allows readers to explore your findings in an interactive format, including multimedia elements such as videos, images, or infographics.
      • Podcast Series: Produce a podcast episode where you discuss your findings, perhaps including interviews with members of the community. (The podcast script should be approximately 1000 words, or 15 minutes).
      • Digital Artwork or Project: If appropriate, create digital artwork or a project (e.g., a digital zine, or interactive media) that represents the community and your insights.

Final Report or Creative Project:

Your final submission should contain the following sections:

  1. Introduction: A brief overview of your topic, the community or media object you studied, and the key research questions or themes you explored. The theory you’ve read in class should be laid out in your introduction and woven throughout the paper.
  2. Methods: A description of the methods you used to gather data and engage with the community. (Where, how, and when did you access your community? How did you take notes or record conversations?).
  3. Object Description: Your readers only knowledge and understanding of what happened will come from the description section of your report because they have not been witness to the situation, people, or events that you are writing about. Given this, it is crucial that you provide sufficient details to place the analysis that will follow into proper context; don't make the mistake of providing a description without context. The description section of a field report is similar to a well written piece of journalism. Therefore, a helpful approach to systematically describing the varying aspects of an observed situation is to answer the "Five W’s of Investigative Reporting." These are:
    • What -- describe what you observed. Note the temporal, physical, and social boundaries you imposed to limit the observations you made. What were your general impressions of the situation you were observing.
    • Where -- provide background information about the setting of your observation and, if necessary, note important material objects that are present that help contextualize the observation [e.g., arrangement of computers in relation to student engagement with the teacher].
    • When -- record factual data about the day and the beginning and ending time of each observation. Note that it may also be necessary to include background information or key events which impact upon the situation you were observing.
    • Who -- note the participants in the situation in terms of age, gender, ethnicity, and/or any other variables relevant to your study. Record who is doing what and saying what, as well as, who is not doing or saying what. If relevant, be sure to record who was missing from the observation.
    • Why -- why were you doing this? Describe the reasons for selecting particular situations to observe. Note why something happened. Also note why you may have included or excluded certain information.
  4. Analysis: A detailed analysis of your findings, connecting them to the theories and concepts covered in the course. This section should reflect your critical thinking and ability to apply academic concepts to real-world digital phenomena. The analysis goes beyond reportage of what you’ve found to uphold, expand, or reject the theory’s we’ve been working on in class. (It’s completely acceptable to note that one of your observations is explained by an existing theory).
  5. Reflection: Include a reflective piece (~300 words) that explains the rationale behind your creative choices and how they help convey your ethnographic insights.
  6. Conclusion: Summarize your key findings and reflect on what you’ve learned about the intersection of technology and culture through this project.

Grading Rubric

A (Excellent):

  • Theoretical Integration and Critical Analysis: The project demonstrates a sophisticated understanding of relevant theories from the course. The student effectively integrates these theories into their observations from the outset and provides a critical analysis that expands, challenges, or confirms the theory based on their ethnographic data. The relationship between theory and observation is dynamic and insightful.
  • Creativity and Depth of Engagement: The project is original, creative, and deeply engaging. The chosen format (whether traditional or creative) is executed with a high level of thought and care, demonstrating the student’s ability to think outside the box while maintaining academic rigor. The analysis is thorough, well-organized, and offers meaningful contributions to our understanding of digital culture.

B (Good):

  • Theoretical Integration and Critical Analysis: The project shows a solid understanding of relevant theories and incorporates them into the analysis of the digital ethnography. The student engages with the theory in a meaningful way, though the analysis may lack the depth or originality of an A-level project. The relationship between theory and observation is clear but may be somewhat straightforward or less critically engaged.
  • Creativity and Depth of Engagement: The project is well-executed and demonstrates creativity, though it may not reach the same level of innovation or depth as an A-level project. The analysis is coherent and organized, but it may be somewhat less detailed or insightful. The student successfully connects their observations with the theory, but the connections might not be as fully developed or nuanced.

C (Satisfactory):

  • Theoretical Integration and Critical Analysis: The project includes a basic application of relevant theories from the course but may do so in a more superficial or formulaic manner. The analysis may be somewhat descriptive rather than critical, and the relationship between theory and observation may be underdeveloped. There is an attempt to engage with theory, but it lacks depth or critical insight.
  • Creativity and Depth of Engagement: The project is adequately completed but may lack creativity or deep engagement with the subject matter. The chosen format is functional but may not fully utilize the potential of the medium. The analysis is present but may be disorganized, shallow, or lacking in originality.

D & F

Let’s figure out what’s going on and come up with a way to help you improve.