ethno.space

A Collaborative Space for Ethnography

What is this?

This website is a collaborative space created by Angela Kristin VandenBroek for the collection and analysis of ethnographic data. My current research is on the concept of innovation and the Stockholm Tech Startup Ecosystem. The data collected in this site will be used to produce my PhD thesis, which will be turned into a book to be published with an academic publisher, peer-reviewed journal articles, and other publications.

Objects, Comments, & Assemblages

Ethno.space is organized around objects, comments, and assemblages. Objects are raw data (e.g. interviews, observations, archival documents) in the form of text, documents (PDF), images, audio, and video. Comments are the first-level of analysis, consisting of observations, analytic codes, and discussions between ethno.space's users. Assemblages are the second-level of analysis. Assemblages are written meditations on a collection of objects. These assemblages allow me to bring together objects to explore their relations and their collective significance. The most fruitful assemblages will be used as the basis for my PhD thesis and related publications and presentations.

About the Ethnographer

Angela Kristin VandenBroek is a PhD Candidate in anthropology at Binghamton University, a research fellow funded by the American-Scandinavian Foundation's Thord-Gray Memorial Fund, a visting researcher at Stockholm University's department of social anthropology, and a freelance designer and web developer. More information about me can be found on my website.

On Collaboration

Ethno.space is an experiment with ethnographic methods and engagement that aims to fundamentally embed the values of collaborative ethnography into the infrastructure of the project. I want to do more than refer to my subjects as interlocutors. I seek to truly enage the meaning of that role by allowing subjects to engage in a dialog with me and my data beyond the field encounter. I welcome your comments, thoughts, and critique.

On Participant-Observation

Ethno.space is a WordPress plugin and theme of my own creation. In addition to being an anthropologist, I have also worked professionally in design and web development since 2008. This somewhat unique arrangement of skills allows me the opportunity to create, support, use, and improve a web application in tandem with my ethnographic fieldwork of people creating, supporting, using, and improving their own digital technoglogies. So, ethno.space acts a rather unique form of participant-observation offering an additional method for understanding how tech-thinking shapes the way we approach our work.

Who can see this?

Ethno.space is not a public website. To view the site, users must have a login and password. (Usernames and passwords should not be shared.) The type of credentials a user has determines which objects and assemblages the user has access to. These credentials are given to four types of people:

  • The Ethnographer - As the ethnographer, I can see and contribute to all parts of the site. I can also see some user activity including: all user inputted data, a history of login dates (for measuring the quantitative engagement of interlocutors over time) and the default session token details stored by WordPress. However, I do not use analytics software to track user behavior or detailed activity on the site. I hope that this lack of tracking will create a safe space for you to explore and use the site without the pressure of intensive observation.
  • Interlocutors - These are the people who participate in the project primarily as subjects, meaning that there are data objects about them. Interlocutors always have access to all assemblages and the objects about them. Interlocutors also have access to "public" objects. These public objects include things that are already public (e.g. websites, public presentations, or news articles) and objects where the relevant interlocutor has given permission for its public access among other project interlocutors. This access allows them the ability to view these objects and assemblages and contribute to their analysis through comments. Interlocutors can see all comments attached to the objects and assemblages they have access to. Anonymous interlocutors have been given pseudonyms for ethno.space. These pseudonyms will not be used outside of ethno.space (i.e. Different pseudonyms will be used in publications to protect the identities of these anonymous participants).
  • Advisors - As a PhD Candidate, I am supervised by a committee of faculty who review my work and provide guidance on the project. Advisors have access to view and comment on all objects and assemblages including attached comments. The advisors for this project are:
    • Academic Advisor
      Doug Holmes, Distinguished Professor of Anthropology at Binghamton University
    • PhD Committee Member
      Josh Reno, Associate Professor of Anthropology at Binghamton University
    • PhD Committee Member
      Ruth Van Dyke, Professor of Anthropology at Binghamton University
    • Local Advisor in Sweden
      Anette Nyqvist, Associate Professor of Social Anthropology & Senior Lecture at Stockholm University
  • Academic Collaborators - I strongly believe in collaboration among peers. I benefit greatly from the feedback and thoughts of my peers in anthropology and related feilds. These academic collaborators can view all assemblages and all public objects. They cannot view non-public objects. This access level is similar to the access they normally have of my work. That is, they can view the early drafts of my analysis and writing but not protected raw data.