Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Digitalising the Ethnographic Field in and Post Covid-19 : How (a study of ) child rights activism in India moved online

Mortensen, Therese LU (2020) In Chakra: tidskrift för indiska religioner 2020 (Special Issue)(1). p.67-75
Abstract
The Covid-19 pandemic has forced us all to adapt. For ethnographic area
studies, such adaptations take place both at the level of the researcher and
the researched. This essay reflects on how the study of an Indian child
rights advocacy network adapted to ‘going online’ as a consequence of the
pandemic and lockdown in India. Although the researcher could no longer
be physically present in the studied situations, it offered an opportunity to
combine ‘traditional’ and digital ethnography to study new types of interactions. In the case explored here, activists’ knowledge sharing and direct
advocacy with authorities moved to Zoom webinars, and NGO workers’
communication with the village-based ‘field’ took place... (More)
The Covid-19 pandemic has forced us all to adapt. For ethnographic area
studies, such adaptations take place both at the level of the researcher and
the researched. This essay reflects on how the study of an Indian child
rights advocacy network adapted to ‘going online’ as a consequence of the
pandemic and lockdown in India. Although the researcher could no longer
be physically present in the studied situations, it offered an opportunity to
combine ‘traditional’ and digital ethnography to study new types of interactions. In the case explored here, activists’ knowledge sharing and direct
advocacy with authorities moved to Zoom webinars, and NGO workers’
communication with the village-based ‘field’ took place on WhatsApp
groups. The essay thus documents a rapidly changing child rights advocacy landscape in India, as well as reflects upon methodological challenges
and opportunities when it comes to both studying online activism and
studying activism while online. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Chakra: tidskrift för indiska religioner
volume
2020 (Special Issue)
issue
1
pages
9 pages
publisher
Centrum för teologi och religionsvetenskap, Lunds universitet
ISSN
1652-0203
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
da9e1b2f-d892-405c-947f-606fb976c3cb
alternative location
https://www.sasnet.lu.se/sites/sasnet.lu.se/files/2021-01/web_version_chakra_2020_no_1_ny-3.pdf
date added to LUP
2020-12-18 13:47:54
date last changed
2021-05-18 13:55:33
@article{da9e1b2f-d892-405c-947f-606fb976c3cb,
  abstract     = {{The Covid-19 pandemic has forced us all to adapt. For ethnographic area<br/>studies, such adaptations take place both at the level of the researcher and<br/>the researched. This essay reflects on how the study of an Indian child<br/>rights advocacy network adapted to ‘going online’ as a consequence of the<br/>pandemic and lockdown in India. Although the researcher could no longer<br/>be physically present in the studied situations, it offered an opportunity to<br/>combine ‘traditional’ and digital ethnography to study new types of interactions. In the case explored here, activists’ knowledge sharing and direct<br/>advocacy with authorities moved to Zoom webinars, and NGO workers’<br/>communication with the village-based ‘field’ took place on WhatsApp<br/>groups. The essay thus documents a rapidly changing child rights advocacy landscape in India, as well as reflects upon methodological challenges<br/>and opportunities when it comes to both studying online activism and<br/>studying activism while online.}},
  author       = {{Mortensen, Therese}},
  issn         = {{1652-0203}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{67--75}},
  publisher    = {{Centrum för teologi och religionsvetenskap, Lunds universitet}},
  series       = {{Chakra: tidskrift för indiska religioner}},
  title        = {{Digitalising the Ethnographic Field in and Post Covid-19 : How (a study of ) child rights activism in India moved online}},
  url          = {{https://www.sasnet.lu.se/sites/sasnet.lu.se/files/2021-01/web_version_chakra_2020_no_1_ny-3.pdf}},
  volume       = {{2020 (Special Issue)}},
  year         = {{2020}},
}