Ethnographic Methods Research Articles

European Capital of Culture title as a driving force of urban transformation: the case of Novi Sad

ABSTRACT The article deals with urban transformation processes as a result of the implementation of the European Capital of Culture project in Novi Sad, Serbia. By introducing the concept of culture-led Europeanization, the author argues that by participating in initiatives such as the ECoC, cities must prove their Europeanness on both the discursive and material levels of the event. By focusing on two case studies, the Svilara Cultural Station and the Creative District, the author reveals the motives and logic behind urban transformation processes in the city by placing them in the wider context of political and economic reality. Through the use of ethnographic methods, the author also uncovers various local discourses surrounding the project, revealing conflicting narratives about the management of the project.

The WeFEEL Approach: Examining an Emotional Intelligence Curriculum’s Impact on Young Children’s Development and Social Interactions With Their Families

ABSTRACT This study is driven by a collective call from stakeholders and by the occurrence of violent events within society to address the importance of emotional intelligence and emotional awareness in early childhood development. Recognizing the significance of these skills in fostering well-being and success, there is a growing demand for targeted supplemental programs aimed at teaching emotional intelligence from a young age. The WeFEEL Approach is a comprehensive approach based on emotional intelligence facets. It aims to foster self-regulation and empathy with particular emphasis on co-regulation in young children and their at-risk families. The present mixed-method study, examining the impact of the WeFEEL Emotional Intelligence Approach, was informed by ethnographic methods for data collection and grounded theory analysis. Through teacher/family focus groups and video analysis of classroom implementation, the findings suggest a positive impact on students in terms of emotional knowledge growth and application of the WeFEEL framework with generalizability to multiple settings. Further, teachers and families expressed a positive shift in classroom and home emotional climate and an increase in empathy-driven interactions. Implications for the field of early childhood education are discussed.

Robot in the loop: a human-centered approach to contextualizing AI and robotics in construction

This article documents the multidisciplinary design and evaluation of a robot to assist carpentry workers on a building site in the United States. Combining ethnographic and technical design research methods, it contributes a path towards the human-centered development of construction robotics technologies. Since the 1980s, researchers have envisioned robots performing skilled construction tasks such as bricklaying, painting, spray-coating, or site monitoring. In this article, we envision instead robots performing simpler, ancillary activities supporting workers while they collaboratively carry out building tasks. We draw from an extended ethnographic engagement with construction workers to inform the design of a prototype rover able to accompany and deliver tools to carpentry workers installing formwork panels. Following a review of the state of the art in construction robotics and ethnography in technology design, we show how insights drawn from our ethnographic study informed the robot’s design as well as its innovative deep reinforcement learning (DRL) architecture for social navigation. Evaluating the robot in simulations, lab settings, and on a construction floor we document its benefits, including apt social navigation and user comfort in construction floors, and reflect on its limitations. Proposing “robot in the loop” as a design pattern combining ethnographic and technical design research, the article shows how the world of construction might be brought closer to the world of technology design, centering workers’ contexts and experiences in the design of new technologies aimed at supporting them.

Workaround as Practice: Gauging Risk in Ethnographic Method

Workaround as Practice: Gauging Risk in Ethnographic Method

Made for or Made by? A Qualitative Investigation into the Diverse Practices and Roles of Medical Congress Participants.

Medical congresses play a pivotal role in the continuing medical education of healthcare professionals (HCPs), particularly in light of the rapid advancements in medical knowledge and technology. Notwithstanding, little is known about the internal dynamics of such events and how they contribute to the learning processes in communities of health professional practice. This study aims to uncover and elucidate what motivates HCPs to participate in medical congresses and how they experience their participation through a qualitative study. Attending six in-person medical congresses in Western Europe in 2023, we collected data through a combination of ethnographic methods including 69 in-situ interviews, 17 in-depth interviews, and extensive participant observations. We analyzed the role of the physical environment, participant motivation, interdisciplinarity, and participant diversity for medical congress attendance, ultimately identifying four types of congress participants: Explorers, Newcomers, Drivers, and Updaters, each characterized by unique patterns of professional experience and engagement within the professional communities. Our findings elucidate the complex motivational landscape of medical congress participants, where the desire for learning is routinely complemented by the pursuit of peer recognition. Our insights and the qualitative typology of medical congress participants introduced have the potential to optimize continuous medical education and shape the structure of future medical congresses by shedding light on the evolving needs of HCPs in diverse medical fields.

St Pauls carnival, sound systems and the seven saints of St Pauls – making black heritage and spaces in Bristol

ABSTRACT This article explores Black heritage spaces in St Pauls, Bristol and investigates how Black urban communities use inner-city landscapes and neighbourhoods for the production and celebration of own heritage spaces. While the city has been the site of an important demonstration of public contestation of authorised heritage, when the statue of slave trader Edward Colston was toppled on 7 June 2020, there has been a history of Black heritage practices and spaces. Using ethnographic methods, such as participant observation, chatting, walking through the neighbourhood and participating in local events, the article examines these alternative heritage spaces, where Black heritage is produced, (re-)defined and presented by the community who actively remember, recognise and celebrate their legacies in the urban space.

Culinary Word Formation in Batak Toba Language: A Culinary Linguistic Analysis

This research aims to describe and formulate the formation of culinary words in the Batak Toba language (BTL). It is also hoped that the research can contribute to the revitalization of BTL lexicons, especially those related to culinary names. The approach in this research is a qualitative approach with ethnographic methods. The implementation of this research used the Spradley analysis model. The data were in the form of words and phrases taken from culinary names in BTL. The data were obtained through observation, documentation, and interview. The theory used as a reference in this research is by Gerhardt et al. (2013) who state that the linguistic word formation process is research based on food vocabulary and its meaning. From the research results, it was found that the internal word formation processes that commonly occur in the BTL include; (1) Composition, which consists of 6 (six) composition parts; (2) Reduplication, which consists of 5 (five) reduplication parts; and (3) Affixation, which consists of 4 (four) affixation parts. However, the amount of data on BTL culinary names in the formation of each reduplication is not much or in other words, it is not as productive as in the formation of words in composition.

Role of Religious Leaders in Fostering Inter-Faith Dialogue Amid Boko Haram Insurgency in Kano, Northern Nigeria

This paper examines the role of religious leaders in forging interfaith dialogue in Kano. It argues that religious leaders have been framed for mobilizing and instigating their followers for collective violence in response to other faiths in Kano over the years. However, the eruption of the Boko Haram onslaughts on Christians in the Northeast region and planned attacks on Christians in Kano created space for local religious leaders to mobilize their followers to forge inter-faith dialogue aimed at de-escalation of insurgency`s extremist ideology. The consensual efforts of inter-religious leaders culminated in the formation of the Kano Covenant in 2012. The peace pact cemented the fissures between the two faiths and entrenched the novel harmonious relationship beyond faith in the social, political and economic spheres. The paper explores the pedigree and credentials of the religious leaders, their motivations and convictions for fostering the interfaith dialogue. The pact transformed religious extremism into peacebuilding unprecedented in Kano`s history. The paper adopts the ethnographic method of data collection through the distribution of semi-structured interviews to religious leaders and adherents. Focus group discussions and oral interviews were held with community and opinion leaders and stakeholders. Others include close reading of secondary works including media reports.

Kesenian Dongkrek Sebagai Upaya Untuk Menyikapi Covid 19 Di Kota Madiun

This study aims to determine the meaning of the use of dongkrek art as local wisdom in an effort to respond to Covid-19 in Madiun City and to explore the material content in dongkrek art, and integrate dongkrek art with learning in elementary schools. This type of research is qualitative with an ethnographic method that uses data collection techniques in the form of interviews and observations. The results show that the community carries out mitigation with various activities through supernatural powers and horizontally by establishing good relationships with fellow humans and nature. Dongkrek is a regional art native to Mejayan Village, Mejayan District, Caruban, Madiun City, East Java, Indonesia. This art is in the form of dance and musical accompaniment that tells the story of Raden Ngabei Lo Prawirodipuro's efforts in overcoming the plague. At that time, the Mejayan community was hit by an epidemic. It is said that if in the morning they were sick, they would suddenly die in the afternoon, likewise when they were sick in the afternoon, they would die in the morning. As an effort to overcome the plagueblug, Raden Ngabei Lo Prawirodipuro, who at that time served as Demang, created the dongkrek dance and music. This art is believed to have magical powers to ward off disease and bring safety. Raden Ngabei Lo Prawirodipuro's efforts to ward off the plagueblug were through the movements and accompaniment of dongkrek music which contained symbols that symbolized the struggle against disease and evil forces. This dance also contains prayers and hopes that the community will be given health and prosperity. Dongkrek art is not just dance and music, but also a reflection of the history and culture of the Madiun community. Through Dongkrek, we can learn a lot about noble values, cultural resilience, and the importance of preserving ancestral heritage. The noble values contained in dongkrek must be maintained and preserved. This art is one of the cultural identities of the City of Madiun.

Heritage Branding and The Value of Nostalgia

Coffee is embedded in everyday life as a tradition or ritual within individuals or social communities. Coffee shapes social interactions and cultural practices. Kopi Toko Djawa Pasar Cihapit evokes memories through its spatial dimension. The existence of Kopi Toko Djawa Cihapit gives a nostalgic impression because of its location. Apart from that, the impression of nostalgia from an architectural perspective is also reflected in the interior, which presents a “heritage” atmosphere and strengthens the visitor’s experience in interpreting heritage values in the spatial dimension. The contribution that will be conveyed through this article is a deeper understanding of nostalgia in the form of memory and architecture through coffee in traditional markets, as well as highlighting how this influences community to its dynamics and local identity. This article explores nostalgia in memory and architecture through coffee in conventional markets. The article examines coffee’s cultural and historical significance, using ethnographic methods and interviews to reveal the coffee heritage at Kopi Toko Djawa Cihapit. This research enriches understanding of cultural nuances and underscores the importance of preserving coffee heritage in an architectural context. Qualitative data from the literature, field observations, and interviews with the first barista at Kopi Toko Djawa Cihapit underlie this research.

The uncounted and unseen challenges of refugee foster families in Kampala, Uganda

Uganda is known for its open-door policies towards refugees, currently hosting over 1.5 million refugees, 60–65% of whom are children. National self-reliance strategies grant refugees who live in urban settings freedom of movement and employment and expect them to be mostly self-sufficient in exchange. Families within the refugee community are fostering unaccompanied refugee children, as this is considered the best solution for them by the Ugandan state and international organisations. We used ethnographic and quantitative methods, including in-depth interviews, questionnaires and participant observation, to assess the living situation of refugee foster families in Kampala. Our sample included 52 foster families who were caring for a total of 289 children. The findings raised four overarching themes: (1) Circumstances and reasoning for fostering unaccompanied children; (2) Formalisation of explicit foster registration; (3) Differences in care and living conditions; and (4) Ambiguous organisational support. Fostering was either direct by family members or friends, or indirect through the intervention of a church or the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees’ (UNHCR) implementing non-governmental organisations (NGOs) but has never followed national processes to formalise fostering or adoption. Based on the self-reliance policies, refugee foster families in Kampala do not receive adequate support or supervision from any institution, and fostered children remain acutely vulnerable, especially since the economic crises related to Covid-19 and the war in Ukraine. We argue that the lack of recognition and financial and emotional support for foster families hinders community-based solutions. These conditions, coupled with the lack of proper supervision and control, encourage less altruistic fostering and more abusive and exploitative treatment of unaccompanied children.

Interconnected water scarcities and environmental amenities migration in rural Chile

This paper explores the repercussions of amenity migration on rural communities' access to water through a comparative analysis of three case studies in Chile. It examines the concept of rural drinking waterscapes to elucidate how access to water is dependent upon a metabolic process, wherein social, political, economic, and technical elements contribute to the construction of rural landscapes. This notion implies paying close attention to the daily practices of water access at the household level through ethnographic methods (multiplying interviews and observations), thus uncovering unregulated water habits and uses. The results underscore the pivotal role played by the State in shaping the desirability of these localities, attracting both capital and upper-class population influx. This socio-demographic shift triggers significant changes in land-use patterns, resulting in an amplified and diversified demand for water. The study identifies that water scarcity is a multifaceted issue, stemming from the intricate interplay of various scarcities occurring simultaneously across different scales. These include: 1) infrastructure scarcity, arising from households' inability to connect to the communal water network; 2) service management scarcity, induced by operational failures that reduce water pressure or increase supply interruptions; 3) economic scarcity, resulting from water organisation budget constraints or residents’ inability to meet water bills; and 4) overexploitation scarcity, emanating from the excessive consumption of groundwater resources. Notably, these different forms of scarcity are interconnected. The responses of local populations and governing committees are identified as central to this intricate chain of causation, as they can inadvertently create new scarcity scenarios and exacerbate inequalities.

Khazanah Leksikon Perayaan Asyura Kota Serang

Ashura celebrations not only reflect spiritual aspects, but also represent the cultural entity of society as a whole. Ashura celebrations involve local religious and cultural values that interact and adapt to each other. This research aims to determine the lexicon of names and cultural meanings of Ashura celebrations in Serang City, Banten Province. The research technique used is descriptive qualitative with ethnographic interview methods, participant observation, and literature review which also includes an examination of the Kitab Kuning. The source of research data comes from the Ashura celebration in Serang City. Research findings show 18 Ashura celebration lexicon data that can be classified into three Ashura celebration times: 9 Muharram, 10 Muharram, and 11 Muharram. The Ashura celebration lexicon is grouped into (1) monomorphemic word-form lexicon, (2) polymorphemic word-form lexicon, and (3) phrase-form lexicon. Each lexicon has noun and verb categories. Keywords: lexicon, Ashura, ritual, religious

Livelihood risks arising from urban river pollution in selected marginal communities in the Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria

Urban river pollution has become a critical sustainability challenge worldwide. In the studies of urban river pollution, very little research focus has gone into understanding pollution effects on main river-dependent livelihoods among marginal communities in urban centres. In this study, using a context-specific risk framework, we identify and analyze (i) urban river-dependent livelihoods (ii) pathways to community exposure to urban river pollution (iii) effects and consequences on urban river-dependent livelihoods (iv) potential intervention strategies. The study uses knowledge co-production workshops, and ethnographic methods involving participant observations, focus group discussions, in-depth interviews, and key informant interviews as a means of generating the needed data. Our findings indicate that degraded urban rivers have had profound negative effects on river-dependent livelihoods such as food processing, poultry, livestock farming and the small-scale brick industries for construction. Further, urban river pollution has also led to livelihood-related conflicts over access to limited, good-quality water resources. Intervention strategies to improve livelihood resilience are suggested at the institutional, communal and livelihood levels. Institutional interventions include strengthening environmental laws compliance and enforcement, inter-agency collaborations and extending sanitation and urban planning to marginal communities in cities. Communal interventions are sensitization campaigns, enforced sanitation practices and calls for behavioural and attitudinal change. Livelihoods-linked interventions aim to reduce livelihood strategies’ contributions to river pollution. Such interventions include proper disposal of waste generated through livelihood strategies, and instituting practices that minimize run-off from wet industries.

Supporting teacher dispositions towards translanguaging-for-learning in a Grade 9 mathematics classroom

Background: Our article argues that the role of translingual instruction in mathematics classrooms is under-recognised in South Africa, as policymakers, teacher educators, teachers, learners, and parents assume that mathematics is just about numbers and calculations and not language. This is despite findings on the value of using children’s familiar language resources in MacDonald (1991), code-switching for meaning-making in mathematics and science learning by Setati et al. (2002) and Probyn (2015), and the findings by Mbude (2019) on using isiXhosa for boosting mathematical and science skills.Objectives: The main aim of our article is to examine the role of the Languaging-for-Learning (L4L) project in fostering ‘supportive teacher dispositions’ to translanguaging and bilingual and multilingual education. We will accomplish this aim through description and analysis of one Grade 8 and Grade 9 mathematics teacher and her learners who participated in the project.Method: The study is a qualitative and interpretive linguistic ethnographic case study of a Grade 8 and Grade 9 mathematics teacher. The researchers used ethnographic methods to collect data and primarily draw on data transcribed from one of the video recordings of a lesson, fieldnotes of their classroom observations and still photographs from their classroom visits and L4L workshops. They used discourse analysis to interpret the data.Results: The research findings point to the critical role that fostering supportive teacher dispositions to translanguaging can play in teacher development and in supporting learners’ engagement and learning in multilingual mathematics classrooms.Contribution: Our contribution to the field has been in demonstrating pluriversality in mathematics classrooms, showing how translanguaging enhances meaning-making and participation and helps to give voice to learners.Conclusion: Having multilingual resources, collaboratively building knowledge and resources and team teaching with teachers played a role in supporting the teacher’s development in pedagogical translanguaging.

Exploring the Experiences of Times Without Care and Encounters in Persons With Dementia in the Swiss and German Nursing Home and Domiciliary Care Settings: Protocol for an Ethnographic Multimethods Study.

Persons with dementia spend a large part of the day without care and encounters, often without activity, as confirmed by numerous studies. However, no scientific analysis has examined how persons with dementia experience these periods. Such knowledge would be highly relevant for health care professionals and relatives to develop adequate strategies for dealing with times without care. We aim to reconstruct times without care and encounters in persons with dementia in the nursing home and domiciliary care settings and develop a typology. This typology will address the lifeworld understandings of time and the ways of arranging the time of persons with dementia. Our study is designed as an explorative, sequential multimethods investigation. We aim to systematically reconstruct times without care and encounters over a period of 36 months using ethnographic methods. Afterward, we will examine the resulting typology using a survey. To describe different social and caring cultures, practices, and arrangements, we will analyze time periods across all phases of dementia in (1) institutions exclusively caring for persons with dementia, (2) institutions where persons with dementia and those without live together, and (3) domiciliary care. For each type of care, our target is 10 intensive case observations. These observations will occur in both participatory and nonparticipatory ways. We video record selected situations and conduct situational conversations and interviews with persons with dementia and nurses. We are aiming for a minimum sample of 30 persons with dementia plus their caregivers (ie, relatives of people with dementia and professional caregivers). We will analyze data according to grounded theory methodology. Furthermore, we will perform a hermeneutic sequence analysis of selected text passages. To interpret the video material, we will conduct a video interaction analysis. To obtain complementary information about the newly developed typology, we will survey approximately 400 formal and 150 informal caregivers. We will summarize the ethnography and survey findings into an overall concept of times without care and encounters in persons with dementia. To fulfill the research objectives, our cross-disciplinary and cross-country team comprises researchers with expertise in nursing sciences, gerontology, sociology, psychology, and ethnography. Our approach allows formulating statements about the nature, frequency, and prevalence of times without care and encounters in people with dementia across countries and types of care. Thus, we will contribute to making visible the lifeworld of persons with dementia. Our study commenced in March 2022 and will conclude in May 2025. The results are expected to be published in the fall of 2025. Our research offers points of departure for the representative investigation of times without care and encounters in persons with dementia, for the development of diagnostic instruments, and for dealing critically with possibilities of interruption (eg, by developing targeted interventions). DERR1-10.2196/58190.

Intellectual Ethnography of Indonesian Muslims

Even though science is considered neutral, the struggle to Islamize science continues to be carried out by Muslim intellectuals. Al Attas is one of the critical intellectuals in this field whose influence has significantly impacted a group of Indonesian Muslim scholars within the INSISTS community. One of the INSISTS figures concerned about the Islamization of knowledge is Hamid Fahmy Zarkasyi. This study attempts to discuss why and how this Islamization was carried out by Indonesian intellectual Muslim. This study uses ethnographic methods in the INSISTS community with literature studies. This research shows that the involvement of Muslim intellectuals in islamization is related to the intention of da’wah, the implementation of the Islamic Worldview, and is made possible by the socio-cultural situation of a democratic Indonesia. The strategy of Islamization of knowledge is carried out by focusing on young intellectual regeneration, writing, and the presence of charisma that supports this vision. Theoretically, this study strengthens Sherry Ortner’s opinion that agency is formed by three components of intention and socio-cultural construction and adds a charisma component as the fourth component that includes agency.

Digitalization and Education Equity in Remote Areas: Challenges and Strategic Solutions

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated digitalization in the education sector, highlighting disparities in technology access, particularly in remote areas like Bone Regency, South Sulawesi. This study explores the impact of digitalization on equitable access to education in this region and identifies challenges and potential solutions to bridge the digital divide. The study used ethnographic methods to gather insights from selected students, teachers, academics, and parents. Findings reveal that limited digital infrastructure, lack of technology skills, and economic disparities are major barriers to digital education in Bone Regency. Social norms and gender roles further affect students' ability to use technology effectively, particularly for female students. Initiatives such as enhancing teacher training in digital skills, partnering with the private sector for infrastructure support, and implementing flexible hybrid learning models are identified as possible solutions. This study contributes to ongoing discussions about digital equity in education, providing actionable recommendations for policymakers to expand inclusive digital education access in remote areas.

The Night is Still Young: A Cross-Disciplinary Forum on Queer Nightlife Studies

ABSTRACT Since 2020, a wave of academic and trade books has brought unprecedented attention to queer nightlife. Whereas this special issue of TSQ advances queer nightlife as a site for continued study in sociology, this forum opens a conversation between ten leading scholars who have often carried out their work in distinct social science and humanities fields, including sociology, geography, ethnomusicology, performance studies, religion, and media studies. In a spirit of academic generosity, they become interlocutors who exchange stories, analytical frameworks, and investments with the goal that they might learn from each other; they bond over shared nightlife and research experiences, including ethnographic methods and attention to affect. This forum poses questions and insights that will enrich how future scholarship can build toward more rigorous, capacious, and imaginative queer methods – within and beyond sociology.

Intercultural Adaptive Communication Competence (Case Study on Afghan Refugee in Indonesia)

The arrival of refugees to Indonesia for temporary refuge is a phenomenon that has occurred for a long time and has not been resolved until now. Families from Middle Eastern countries, especially Afghanistan, who were affected by the war chose to make Indonesia their second country for safety. After they settled in Indonesia, they were required to adjust or enter the adaptation phase. In terms of culture and language, Indonesia is clearly different from their home country and this is a challenge for refugees. This study uses a qualitative ethnographic method approach, where data is taken from interviews with selected refugees who live together in the South Tangerang area. Interviews were analyzed based on the concept of five competencies in cross-cultural communication initiated by Michael Byram. The results of the study stated that refugees match with competencies during their adaptation in communication after relocation to Indonesia.