The volume is a comprehensive introduction to the essential methods, concepts and practices of conducting ethnographic research in and about digital environments. Written by 60 global contributors across 12 chapters with accompanying case studies and concept explorations, it provides both theoretical foundations and practical guidance for digital ethnographic work. The book also examines ethical challenges specific to digital research environments while maintaining a commitment to reflexive, co-present research that acknowledges how our interactions with digital technologies transcend boundaries of citizenship, race, gender identity, age and ability.

Proctor began this project because he found selecting readings for his courses on internet culture difficult. The classes聽had constantly been torn between well-researched and theorized but dense and jargon-laden articles on one hand and readable popular “think pieces” without any basis in research or evidence on the other. This left a gap between the two. This book hopes to bridge that divide, seeking to be approachable and useful but also theoretically and methodologically rigorous. The objective is to provide practical advice on the methods, concepts, and themes of digital ethnography, so that students can effectively conduct their own studies, whether in or out of the classroom. To this end, it鈥檚 presented in an approachable style ideal for students and researchers in anthropology, media studies, science & technology studies, and communications who seek to understand contemporary hyper-mediated environments, as well as professionals outside academia who need practical, accessible guidance for conducting rigorous digital research.

The main chapters are a deep-dive into themes such as “virtual reality research” or “digital ethics.” These are paired with short “case studies” that feature different digital ethnographic studies being done currently, written by the researchers doing the work. These involve research on shamanic use of selfies in the Amazon, Iranian feminist social media collectives, GIS use in Cameroon and Polish dark net drug markets, along with many others.聽Each chapter also includes a “micro-chapter” about a central concept, e.g., “affordance,” “platform,” “meme,” and so on.

Tradwives are a growing collection of women on social media who embrace what they consider attributes of the 鈥渢raditional wife,鈥� including not having a job, keeping the home, raising children and being obedient to their husbands. While involvement and interest in the group has grown exponentially on TikTok and Instagram in recent years through influencers like Nara Smith and Ballerina Farm, it has not been able to shake off an undercurrent of initial connections to alt-right networks and white supremacy.

The article, 鈥溾�� (in English, 鈥淯nderstand the ‘tradwife’ wave of beautiful, modest, and housewifely right-wing influencers鈥�), discusses how the movement鈥攚hich originated in the UK and US several years ago鈥攈as begun popping up in Brazilian social media spaces, and questions whether it is linked to Brazil鈥檚 recent political turn to the far-right under Bolsonoro.

When asked about whether the movement is misogynist or racist, as many critics argue, Proctor argues that there is, rather, 鈥渋mplicit misogyny and racism in this trend, which stems from the valorization of a perfect past.鈥� Proctor goes on to explain that: 鈥渢here are probably many tradwives who do not view themselves as racist, don鈥檛 say any overtly racist things, and would be offended if someone suggested otherwise. On the other hand, they are acting out this past that was quite oppressive to people of color. The idea that the 1950s in the US was an idyllic, perfect, peaceful time of prosperity is a myth that can only be realistically applied to a specific segment of white middle-and-upper class people.鈥�

The article in Folha de S.Paulo is the most recent in a series of international pieces Proctor has contributed to about tradwives. He initially wrote about tradwives in a in 2022, but as the trend widened beyond the UK and US, he has been interviewed by and (both Dutch) as well as .

The interview, “” teases and discusses a forthcoming article in the journal “Public Culture,” which Proctor co-wrote with colleague Chloe Ahmann, an anthropologist at Cornell University.

The article and interview concerns the white nationalist group Northwest Front, founded by Burlington, North Carolina native Harold Covington. The Northwest Front seeks to prepare “racially aware” folks (i.e. white supremacists) for what they envision as an impending racial war that will end with the Pacific Northwest area of the United States becoming a white ethnostate. Covington himself, before his death in 2018, wrote a series of speculative fiction novels predicting this race war and the establishment of the “Northwest American Republic.”

Proctor and Ahmann focus on how these novels use Shakespearean references, quotes, and allegories to add supposed legitimacy to the white separatist cause. By likening the books’ narratives to historical epics like聽Henry the Fifth, Covington attempts to elevate the motivations of domestic terrorism. And by placing these books in an online library next to speculative fiction classics like “1984” and “Brave New World,” the books themselves are granted authority in the eyes of the Northwest Front membership.

” is an online magazine that “offers accessible, academically informed commentary on troubling developments around the globe variously described as fascist, majoritarian or authoritarian.” Scott Proudfit read an early draft of the article and provided much appreciated insight into Shakespearean scholarship.

Lambda Alpha supports scholarship and research by acknowledging and honoring superior achievement in the discipline among students engaged in the study of anthropology through the annual awarding of student scholarships, research grants, and student paper prizes. The name Lambda Alpha is composed of the initial letters of the Greek words Logos Anthropos (螞慰纬慰蟼 螒谓胃蟻慰蟺慰蟽), meaning the study of humankind.

The ceremony was conducted by Lambda Alpha faculty sponsor Devin Proctor, assistant professor of anthropology. Congratulations to the newest inductees of Lambda Alpha:

Pictured: L to R; Lincoln McCrae, Jayla Martin-Beasley, Kara McKinley, Nadia Lawyer, & Neill Davis

Six students 鈥� John Luke Farah, Nate Hudson, Jason Steinfeld, Ian Govert, Victoria Colbeck and Rachel Garner 聽鈥� were inducted into The Iota North Carolina Chapter of the Lambda Alpha National Anthropology Honor Society during a ceremony and dinner held at Johnston Hall on April 20.

Lambda Alpha supports scholarship and research by acknowledging and honoring superior achievement in the discipline among students engaged in the study of anthropology through the annual awarding of student scholarships, research grants, and student paper prizes. The name Lambda Alpha is composed of the initial letters of the Greek words Logos Anthropos (螞慰纬慰蟼 螒谓胃蟻慰蟺慰蟽), meaning the study of humankind.

The ceremony was conducted by Lambda Alpha faculty sponsor Assistant Professor of Anthropology Devin Proctor. Congratulations to the newest inductees of Lambda Alpha.

Three students 鈥� Ainsley Shan, Kaitlin Vigeant and Amelia Arcaro-Burbage 鈥� were also inducted in the Alpha Kappa Delta National Sociology Honor Society in a ceremony conducted by AKD faculty sponsor Dr. Karen Wirth, Lecturer in Sociology.

Alpha Kappa Delta seeks to acknowledge and promote excellence in the scholarship in the study of sociology, the research of social problems, and such other social and intellectual activities as will lead to improvement in the human condition. Alpha Kappa Delta stands for Anthropon Katamanthanein Diakonesein or 鈥渢o investigate humanity for the purpose of service.鈥�

Congratulations to the newest inductees of Alpha Kappa Delta.

This award is usually given to a single recipient and recognizes the student who has conducted the most outstanding ethnographic research project at 黑料不打烊, judged according to the quality of both the process and product. This year, however, two projects stood out as exemplary and worthy of recognition.

Boone is an anthropology major with minors in Spanish and psychology. As an Honors student, she completed her senior thesis, titled 鈥淔ear for the Future: Youth Climate Change Activism,鈥� an ethnography that analyzes how hope and fear combined fuel the activism of environmental youth.

Boone conducted research for her project during a global pandemic, which added a deeper analysis of her methods as she had to consider the ways Zoom interviews impacted her project. In rethinking her research methods, she chose to incorporate an art project to unpack the meaningful ways in which hope and fear are expressed nonverbally. Throughout her research process and writing progress, Boone sorted through the challenges that came her way with a positive attitude and a very pragmatic problem-solving approach.

The North Carolina native is now moving on to pursue a聽master鈥檚 degree at Oregon State University to further develop her research project focused on聽how art and emotions are part of a milieu that redefines climate change activism.

Emily Wilbourne is an arts administration major with a dance and interreligious studies double minor. She is also a member of the Multifaith Scholars program. Her project investigated the impact of Japanese imperialism on a traditional Buddhist drum dance from Korea called “seungmu” to explore embodied negotiations of national identity and religion in relation to political ideologies and historical frameworks.

Wilbourne’s research project brought her to Korea on two separate occasions, where she conducted ethnographic fieldwork in Busan. As a SURE / CSRCS Summer Fellow during June and July 2021, she interviewed renowned practitioners, teachers and masters of the dance, in addition to interviewing historians of modern Korea with the assistance of a translator. She also conducted participant observation by studying the technically demanding Monk鈥檚 Dance with a professional seungmu dancer, and she attended traditional dance performances at the National Gugak Center in Busan.

Her research has been presented at two national professional conferences, recognized on the national level by an award from the Forum for Education Abroad, and accepted for publication in the Journal of Theta Alpha Kappa, the national honors society for Religious Studies.

Our winners were Hannah Boone and Kelly O鈥橬eil. We are excited to support their timely and important research.

Hannah Boone is an anthropology major with minors in Spanish and psychology. Her聽project, 鈥淔ear For The Future:聽Youth Climate Change Activism鈥�, aims to investigate young people鈥檚 imaginations of a climate-change-affected future, and how those imaginations drive them to activism.

Kelly O’Neil聽is a psychology major with a minor in human service studies and early childhood. Her project, 鈥淗ow has COVID-19 affected the 黑料不打烊 student experience?鈥�, explores how the changes wrought by the pandemic have impacted聽student socialization, their mental health聽and overall well-being.

Congrats Hannah and Kelly!