Globalizing Method: The Problems of Doing Ethnography in Transnational Spaces

Abstract

The thrust Of this article is to consider how globalizing methods might enable social scientists to better comprehend the complexity of transnational/transcultural spaces. Accordingly, I first describe the global forces that have resulted in increased transnational flows of West Africans to North America. I then present a brief portrait of the community of West African traders in New York City. This sociological portrait is followed by a discussion of how the specter of transnationalism in North America has compelled me to reconsider some previously‐held epistemological and methodological assumptions. The article concludes with a brief consideration of how ethnographic confrontations in transnational spaces like New York City might affect future methods and concepts in anthropology.