Remote Ethnography: A Methodological Toolkit

The idea behind the concept of remote ethnography is that ethnography is a holistic endeavour that entails a degree of immersion and acquisition of general cultural knowledge and competencies. This means creating an analytically and methodologically sound conversation between government tenders, diaspora interviews, witness accounts, satellite images, leaked speeches, popular culture productions, propaganda and lists of detained people while embedding all of this in the long-term cultural knowledge of the region and its history, political economy, narratives, logics and languages. 
As an increasing number of areas in the world are becoming inaccessible or ethically untenable to do on-the-ground fieldwork, anthropologists and other researchers interested in these regions turn to remote methods. Online data and data gathering are at the center of this necessary refocus. Yet, many other types of data and material can be as important in coming to terms with realities on grounds inaccessible. 
Many of the teachers invited to the Summer school will be specialised in Xinjiang, China or Central Asia. Therefore, many texts and examples will concern this part of the world. Still, participation is not limited to students or researchers interested in these geographical locations and aims to provide a methodological toolkit that can be employed globally.

Please note that all the events will be held under the Chatham House Rule. 

Friday 14 July 2023 Thursday 13 July, 2023

online preparatory meeting, 14:00–17:00 CET | two 90-minute sessions via the BigBlueButton

• Introduction to Remote Ethnography as a concept, to the Summer school and the methods taught in it.
• Presentations of each participant’s work, material and interest and the Remote Ethnographic work already being done.
• Peparatory readings for the workshop. Each student will receive a list and a number of PdF texts to prepare for the in-person Summer school.
• Q&A

31 July - 4 August 2023 - in-person activities*

Location: Department of Asian Studies, tř. Svobody 26, Olomouc. (2nd floor)

General themes:

1. Introduction and overview, history of remote research and sources to draw from
2. Online ethnography, discourse analysis, video analysis
3. Interview techniques and oral history
4. Remote sensing for dummies – satellite imagery, Google Map/Google Earth/Open Street Map, etc.
5. Source criticism, fact checking, triangulation & decolonial theory
6. Bringing it all together in an holistic Remote Ethnography – and your own data and research

Tentative program:

July 31

14.00 – 16.00         Welcome, overview, plan of the summer school, self-introduction, own data and research              

16.30 – 18.00         Epistemological frame, reading traces, holism, triangulation, source criticism, fact checks

                              Remote Ethnography: History of remote research, history of ethnography. How related?

19:30 – 21:30         Welcome Garden Party in the Faculty of Arts Gardens (entrance from Křížkovského 12)

August 1

09.30 – 12.30          Decolonial thought and critical geo- and body-politics of knowledge production 

14.00 – 16.00          OSINT, what it is, how to do it, it’s popularity, it’s dangers

16.30 – 18.00          Ethical considerations on OSINT

August 2

09.30 – 12.30          The Chinese Internet, online research, government sources, media

14.00 – 16.00          Han tourists’ travelogues from Xinjiang as research material

16.30 – 18.00          Other usages of online research on China; examples

August 3

09.30 – 12.30          Interviews and testimonies, online interviewing, technical issues

14.00 – 16.00          Interviews’ place in remote research

16.30 – 18.00          Combining archive and fieldwork/interviews – how to archive

20.00 – 22.00          Film screening: Thirty Boys / Ottuz Oghul

August 4

09.30 – 11.30          Wrap up, bringing it together

14.00 – 16.00          Olomouc city tour  (optional)

We have pre-booked the twin rooms at the Generál Svoboda Dormitory. The address of the dormitory is: Generál Svoboda Dormitory, Šmeralova 12, Olomouc. We have booked your rooms from July 30 (Sunday) to August 5 (Saturday).

The dormitory is just a short walk from the tram station "Envelopa" or "Žižkovo náměstí", and the journey will take you around 10 minutes from the Olomouc central railway station. Check-in is possible from 2 pm to 5 pm and 6 pm to 11 pm, check-out by 10 am.

(Reception Phone No. +420 585 638 175)

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe coordination and support action 101079460 — REMOTE XUAR — HORIZON-WIDERA-2021-ACCESS-03.