Jensen C.S.H.. (2010) Etnologi og folkloristik på nettet. Nätverket 17, 3–7.FörfattareCharlotte S. H. Jensen är mag. art., folklorist och verksam vid Forsknings- og Formidlingsafdelingenvid Nationalmuseet i Köpenhamn.7http://natverket.etnologi.uu.se
Surfing ConversationsThe development of a methodological approach to theInternet as practiceMads Dupont Breddam & Astrid Pernille JespersenAbstractIn this article, we describe the development of twoethnographic research methods — the ethnologicDesign Game and the Surfing Conversation — with anemphasis on the latter. These methods are considered tobe reflexive approaches that engage users in innovationprocesses, and they are a part of the concept of practiceorientedinnovation that investigates the dynamicsof practices. This concept has been developed fromuser-driven innovation, a description of how to applycultural analysis in investigations of Internet practice.Key wordsSurfing Conversation, ethnologic Design Games,virtual and corporeal spaces, everyday practices, culturalanalysis, user-driven innovation, reflexive methods, andpractice-oriented design and innovation.IntroductionThis article discusses the practical challenges,experiences and theoretical reflections that haveinspired us and our fellow colleagues at Center forCultural Analysis (CKA) to develop a new method ofethnographic research — the ”Surfing Conversation.”The starting point for our work and for this articlewas a specific project called “The interactive groceryshopping of the future.” In the first part of this article,we will describe this project and its goals in some detail.As will become clear, the approach of this project was”user-driven,“ meaning that its aim was to develop newInternet-based solutions and business concepts throughclose interaction with and investigation of users. Inthe next part of the paper, we will describe severalinitial reflections on practice and innovation, includinghow these were applied in the development of userdriveninnovation to practice-oriented innovation. Thefirst reflexive method outlined in the investigation ofuser practices is the ”ethnologic Design Game.” Next,we will describe some further theoretical reflections(i.e., Marc Augé’s theory of non-places) on the natureISSN: 1651-05938of Internet practice, which eventually led CKA todevelop the method called the Surfing Conversation.In the conclusion, we outline the possible benefitsof this practice-oriented approach, and indicate somedirections for further development.The fieldwork examples we provide were part of aproject called “The interactive grocery shopping of thefuture.” 1 The project was a collaboration between CKA,Art of Crime, COOP-NETTORVET and CopenhagenInstitute for Futures Studies, and it was financiallysupported by the Danish Enterprise and ConstructionAuthority’s program for user-driven innovation. 2 Themain purpose of the project was twofold: to developbusiness models for future grocery shopping in thevirtual world of the Internet, and to develop newmethods of user-driven innovation.CKA’s central contribution to the project was to gatherknowledge on everyday grocery-shopping practices.In “The interactive grocery shopping of the future,”CKA used a wide range of traditional ethnographicmethods — such as qualitative interviews, participantobservation, photography, video, etc. — to gatherextensive empirical knowledge about conventionalgrocery-shopping practices. In the course of thisresearch, CKA developed new reflexive methods toinvestigate practices in virtual on-line spaces, and thesemethods are the main subject of this article.This article will follow a two-step argument regardingtwo methodological inquiries. First, we questionedwhether interactive grocery shopping will transformgrocery shopping from a conventional in-store experienceto a virtual on-line practice. The primary goal of groceryshopping will remain the same: to buy groceries. However,it may be that this will be achieved through differentitineraries. Because of this question, CKA investigated1This article is based on the ethnologic part of the project conductedby the authors together with Michael Christian Andersen, JulieBønnelycke and Tine Damsholt at Center for Cultural Analysis.The report can be obtained at: http://centerforkulturanalyse.ku.dk2http://www.deaca.dk/userdriveninnovationNätverket 2010: 17: 8–16http://natverket.etnologi.uu.se
Change language