At least within sociology, “ethnography” typically refers to “participant observation” involving some kind of systematic notetaking of people within their lived situations. There is, however, a bit of confusion over what “participation” and “observation” refer to exactly, and, more importantly, what it means to combine these efforts into a scientific practice. Making matters more complicated, most sociological ethnographers seem to also draw on other forms of data assembled through in-depth interviews, archival research, and so-called digital fieldwork. In addition to outlining the specific methods of sociological ethnography, our first set of readings will push us to explicitly consider the significance of positionality (beyond simple confessions of demographics), power (beyond the researcher-subject dichotomy), and protocols (namely those regulated by institutional review boards).

You will work toward identifying a case for your fieldwork project. If you’re designing your own study, you will need to draw on additional scholarship to justify your case, research question/puzzle, specific methods, and more. Just remember that you are required to do in-person fieldwork. Interviews, archival research, and digital ethnography can be supplemental, but they are not required and they cannot constitute the primary method of your fieldwork. If you’re participating in the courtroom study, you will need to identify the type of trials you intend to study through “participant observation.” If you’re participating in the gig work study, you will need to identify and sign up for the platform you intend to study through “observant participation.” Alternatively, there may be opportunities to shadow me and other observant participators in the gig work study – effectively turning the project into a “hybrid ethnography.”