Etnografiska utmaningar på nätet - Nätverket - Uppsala universitet

Surfing Conversations. The development of a methodological approach to the Internet as practice#and the Surfing Conversation. Understanding practiceorientedinnovation provided a framework for how toinvestigate existing practices that may be transformedby a transition from conventional to virtual groceryshopping. And the development of the ethnologicDesign Game and the Surfing Conversation providedmethods to better investigate ”virtual practices.” Theidea of a separate Internet sphere was dismantled tofocus attention on practice-as-performance, which isconstituted of a wide range of different elements, andis performed in different spaces simultaneously withregard to Internet practice.The two reflexive methods were developed through adynamic process of gathering empirical knowledge anddoing preliminary analysis, which required progressivetheoretical growth. In this way, the reflexive methodswere in an ongoing process of development, alwaysadapting to the specific empirical field. With regardsto interactive grocery shopping of the future, theethnologic Design Game and the Surfing Conversationwere empirically sensitive methods that resulted fromthat process. These methods can probably be adjustedand applied to other analytical fields of study, or othermethods might be developed through an approachusing practice-oriented innovation with inspirationfrom CKA’s work.The advantage of practice-oriented product innovationis that it pays attention to the user, and is thereforesomewhat user-driven, but it also acknowledges thetransformational potential in bringing a new productto the market. Transformations in practices can bedifficult to get a hold of, but they are important to payattention to. The empirical examples discussed in thisarticle all show that the practice of grocery shopping isa performance that is assembled from many differentelements. Reflexive methods and practice-orientedinnovation provides an opportunity to conduct culturalanalysis in processes of innovation. The ethnologicDesign Game and the Surfing Conversation aremethods that provided specific answers to practicebasedquestions regarding the interactive groceryshopping of the future.15Nätverket 2010: 17: 8–16http://natverket.etnologi.uu.se