This blog post was part of the coursework for the Ethnographic Practicum course, “Ethnography of the University 2020: Focus on Knowledge.” It was originally posted in the category “Online Communities.” With the death of George Floyd in the summer of 2020, during the Covid-19 pandemic, many of my friends were sharing popular posts supporting Black … Continue reading
Category Archives: Ethnography of the University: Focus on Knowledge 2020
The generation of knowledge about the world is the core mandate of ethnographic inquiry; and
the content of knowledge – what it is, who generates it, how it is evaluated, contested and put
into motion is a core theme of ethnographic research. Hence for ethnographers knowledge is
double: it is what we seek to generate through our research and analysis; and it is what we seek
to understand. Students in the Fall 2020 Ethnographic Practicum class ANT 6200 took up the
challenge of attempting to generate ethnographic knowledge about knowledge under Covid
constraints.
Students from Prof. Tania Li’s fall 2020 course entitled ‘Ethnographic Practicum: Ethnography of the University’ compiled blog posts and documents from their experience conducting ethnography of the modes of work that shape the University of Toronto. Click on items from the drop-down menu for more information.
Tailoring News to Work Hours and Leisure Time, By Sabrina Wu (Ethnography of the University 2020: Focus on Knowledge)
This blog post was part of the coursework for the Ethnographic Practicum course, “Ethnography of the University 2020: Focus on Knowledge.” It was originally posted in the category “Online Communities.” Apple News, New York Times, and other news applications provide a convenient service of putting together a string of intriguing headlines as daily notifications. A … Continue reading
Moving Away from Materiality: The Work of Personal Branding, By Sabrina Wu (Ethnography of the University 2020: Focus on Knowledge)
This blog post was part of the coursework for the Ethnographic Practicum course, “Ethnography of the University 2020: Focus on Knowledge.” It was originally posted in the category “Online Communities.” Consumerism is usually defined as being preoccupied with spending wealth on superficial, material things. However, the materiality of what is being consumed becomes harder to … Continue reading
Digital Cultural Capital Exchange and Value: Knowing What to Say and How to Say It, By Sabrina Wu, Kaylee Tang, and Tenzin Tsundue (Ethnography of the University 2020: Focus on Knowledge)
This blog post was part of the coursework for the Ethnographic Practicum course, “Ethnography of the University 2020: Focus on Knowledge.” It was originally posted in the category “Online Communities.” A popular image of a mouse is blown up on a billboard for receiving more likes than the number of votes that determined the results … Continue reading
“COVID is My Friend”: A Catholic Narrative on the Pandemic, By Isabella Daniele (Ethnography of the University 2020: Focus on Knowledge)
This blog post was part of the coursework for the Ethnographic Practicum course, “Ethnography of the University 2020: Focus on Knowledge.” It was originally posted in the category “Online Communities.” Throughout my fieldwork at a local Montreal Parish, I encountered a recurrent narrative about COVID-19 expressed by both the priest and the parishioners. COVID, as … Continue reading
An Exercise in Social Activism Engagement, By Kaylee Tang (Ethnography of the University 2020: Focus on Knowledge)
This blog post was part of the coursework for the Ethnographic Practicum course, “Ethnography of the University 2020: Focus on Knowledge.” It was originally posted in the category “Online Communities.” While I was doing research for my ethnography I found myself actively engaging in people’s story activities. On Instagram, stories can have interactive elements such … Continue reading
Can online communities become “Knowable communities”? By Isabella Daniele, Kaylee Tang & Tenzin Tsundue (Ethnography of the University 2020: Focus on Knowledge)
This blog post was part of the coursework for the Ethnographic Practicum course, “Ethnography of the University 2020: Focus on Knowledge.” It was originally posted in the category “Online Communities.” Imagine landing in a foreign village. How long would it take for you to familiarize yourself with the community, the surroundings, their norms, and cultural … Continue reading
Ethnography of the University 2020: Focus on Knowledge
The generation of knowledge about the world is the core mandate of ethnographic inquiry; and the content of knowledge – what it is, who generates it, how it is evaluated, contested and put into motion is a core theme of ethnographic research. Hence for ethnographers knowledge is double: it is what we seek to generate … Continue reading