The Ethnography Lab would like to announce the opening of several volunteer convener positions to provide unique opportunities for ethnography-focused collaborations, mentorship, research, projects, and presentations based on thematic interests. The call is open to undergraduate and graduate students across all three campuses and disciplines.

The Ethnography Lab invites applications for up to four (4) volunteer conveners to join our community starting mid-November 2021. The duration of the role is November 2021 to April 2022, with the possibility of extending to August 2022 or beyond, based on the type and success of project and budget.

The Ethnography Lab Student Convener role is open to current students at the University of Toronto who have a strong interest in ethnography as a method, a form of writing, and a research perspective, and who are motivated to lead a group of participants in initiating and managing a project or activity that will contribute to the Ethnography Lab’s mission to promote ethnography in academic and public inquiries. Each convener will be responsible for recruiting participants and organizing projects or activities related to a specific ethnographic topic or theme. Themes may be related to one of our existing priority areas: visual and sensory ethnography, urban ethnography, infrastructure ethnography, ethnography in Canada, and undergraduate ethnography or the theme may be a new topic proposed by the applicant. Examples of activities that conveners might initiate include: organizing a small conference or speaker series, establishing a reading and discussion group, curating an ethnographic and/autoethnographic art collection, preparing a publication, creating a blog or podcast series, organizing community outreach events, writing op-eds, etc.
Conveners are expected to hold a bi-weekly meeting with their participants in the Ethnography Lab, contribute to peer-learning, collaboration, and teamwork. Conveners should be prepared to participate in a public presentation or seminar at the end of April and to share their projects through the Ethnography Lab website. Conveners will work with the coordinator and become a part of the Ethnography Lab community.
The role carries with it a modest budget for activity or event expenses (for example, refreshments and poster printing for events), mentorship, access to a computer and printing, audio recorders, relevant software, website access. Due to current COVID-19 restrictions at the University of Toronto, physical meetings are not possible in the Ethnography Lab.

To apply, send the following by email to: ethnography.lab@utoronto.ca

A curriculum vitae;

A short bio (100 words);

A budget for your proposed activities (optional);

The name of the interest group or your plan to convene (e.g. visual or sensory ethnography, urban ethnography, infrastructure ethnography, or other), and a project or activity title and description of the project, activity, event, etc. you plan to organize (about one paragraph, 1-page max) [e.g. conference or speaker series, reading group, publication, creating a blog or podcast series, organizing community outreach events, writing op-eds, etc.].

Deadline: November 10, 5pm, 2021. Acceptance notification, November 17, 2021. More about the Ethnography Lab: ethnographylab.ca