By Amy Mack, PhD Candidate
Department of Anthropology, The University of Alberta
While digital ethnography has been a part of the anthropological tradition for over two decades, it still occupies a somewhat marginalized position within the field with limited programs, courses, or comprehensive training dedicated to the approach. Yet, recent events – including the fieldwork-halting Covid-19 global pandemic and the ever growing use of social media – have demonstrated the potential, and perhaps the necessity, of digital ethnography.
Using her doctoral research on Canadian rightwing and male supremacist movements, Mack traces the history of the subfield and its application across digital worlds, and delves into both the benefits and pitfalls of the approach.