RIEP11: Podfade and Future Plans

I’ve decided to move on. I may still do some ethnography-related podcasts and I’m still quite involved in social media. But this is the final episode of Rapport: The Informal Ethnographer Podcast.

RIEP11: Podfade and Future Plans

RIEP11: Podfade and Future Plans

One reason I’m “podfading” is that I’m getting more opportunities to discuss things through other social media. Moving on from this podcast is a way to focus on other things. Not that it was time-consuming or that it required a lot of effort. But it did what it had to do.

I learnt a fair amount through the experience. Not that most of this learning experience can apply to other people or other projects, but as an experiment, it worked.

If I were to do it again, I might set it up so that other people are involved from the start. In fact, if I can, I’ll probably create a new podcast, based on having some other people on board.

Another thing I might do differently is set up a separate WordPress install through my own webhost, instead of using WordPress.com. A major advantage of WordPress.com is that it offers a well-packaged system, with reasonable upload limits. And it’s very inexpensive. But I might as well put things on The Internet Archive, and control the whole platform, especially since I’ve been dealing with a few WordPress installations and know what’s involved.

What I’ve learnt through the experience, though, has less to do with technical issues and more to do with my career plans. When I created this podcast, I wanted to make a conscious effort to put social media at the centre of my professional life. I had already been quite active in social media for a few years. But, until then, social media activities weren’t really part of my professional life.

In some ways, the main lesson has been about the value of separating professional and personal activities and identities. The podcast itself didn’t become a huge part of my online identity. But it helped separate “Alex, the Informal Ethnographer” from “Enkerli, the Disparate Blogger.”

As time went on, I eventually starting writing blogposts about teaching. While these weren’t about ethnography per se, it seemed to fit more directly here than on my main blog. Still a loose fit, but it made sense in my crude “personal/professional” categorization.

Since then, I’ve actually created a simple site (an installation of BuddyPress) meant to serve as a place to discuss learning and teaching, in connection with social media (hence the “Learning 2.0″ idea, based on the “Web 2.0” coined by Darcy DiNucci at O’Reilly). On that site, I created a number of separate blogs, including some meant purely for testing purposes (using the “sandbox” idea). But I’ve been posting things on my individual blog there. Haven’t reallly been advertising it but I’m already receiving some useful feedback.

One thing I’m trying to do with that learning/teaching blog is to “contribute to the conversation” by adding links to diverse blogs. Some of my blogposts there are meant as replies to other people’s own blogposts. Also, because these blogposts are related to my teaching activities, they’re a way to “think out loud” about teaching. In fact, I might import some teaching-related blogposts from my main blog. At this specific point in time, it sounds like blogging about teaching may be part of what I do. Not that I’m switching from ethnography to teaching (both remain very important, to me, no matter what). But I seem to be shifting my focus a bit, whether or not I realize it.

After creating this podcast and building my online identity as an “informal ethnographer,” I’ve had the opportunity to do a bit of work related to social media. Just a few key contracts, from the very simple and short to an elaborate project lasting several months. These contracts have confirmed a few things about my work and helped me clear up a few things. All of them have been part of a learning experience. And I’ve been meaning to blog about them…

One thing which was clear from the beginning is that my strengths are in the social dimensions of social media. What wasn’t clear, though, is that practical and technical issues often come in the way, making this type of work more difficult.

If I am to think more about my skills and expertise, I notice several things having to do with my work life:

• I love working with people. Either through collaboration or in diverse roles, from consultant to teacher.
• My personality is part of my work and that’s ok. No more “impostor syndrome.”
• Feeling good about the work I do is key. This includes satisfaction with the quality of my work, stimulation from that work, and comfort in doing that work.
• I’m a “Jack of All Trades” and I’m proud of it. In many ways, I’m no expert, and that should be alright.
• While my skills aren’t unique, the combination might be.
• It’s actually not too hard to juggle a few projects at the same time as long as I feel good with what I do.
• It’s better to focus on projects or activities where my contributions are likely to be unique than to accept any kind of work just because I can do it.
• I don’t necessarily require job security, at this point.
• There are some actual positions I could fulfill rather well.
• Life’s good when we’re open to diverse possibilities.

But enough about me…

There are many interesting podcasts, out there, though it hasn’t been easy finding some which are really compatible with ethnography. Among exceptions are some podcasts hosted by sociologists.

One is BBC’s Thinking Allowed, hosted by former York sociologist Laurie Taylor. The show often covers ethnographic issues and research, though Taylor made a surprising comment recently to the effect that people “still” did ethnography. Guess he meant it as a comment on sociology specifically.

Another one is Sociology Improv, hosted by graduate students in sociology at University of Minnesota. As might be expected, they talk about sociology in general, not about the ethnographic dimension of sociology. But it frequently addresses things which are shared issues among several ethnographic disciplines.

Apart from podcasts, there are many ways to spot ethnography online. One is the Open Anthropology Cooperative (OAC), a Ning site with an impressive number of members, including a few very active ones.

Another place is Twitter. In fact, it seems that the OAC was started through Twitter conversations. There are several lists of ethnographers on Twitter, including one I created through my IEthnographer account,

And, I insist, don’t be strangers. There are multiple ways to contact me. You can find much of my contact info on this “online business card” I created recently. You can also email me here, contact me through @IEthnographer on Twitter and on Identi.ca, or just do a search for my last name (Enkerli).

As I often say at the end of a semester: “If I don’t see you again, please have a good life!”

Filed under: announcements, MP3, podcasts, contact information, ethnographic disciplines, ethnography, expertise, Identi.ca, Laurie Taylor, LearningTwo.org, lessons learnt, moving on, podfade, professional life, social media, sociology, Sociology Improv, Thinking Allowed, Twitter, University of Minnesota

New Feature: Alex’s Teaching Tidbits

When I created this blog, I mostly thought about using it to host a podcast but I still wanted to use it as a place where I could blog about topics related to ethnography. Originally, I called it “Headnotes: The Informal Ethnographer Blog” (HIEB) and some remnants of this old name can be found in some places. Because the method I use to distribute podcast episodes assigns the blog’s title to the podcast, I decided to change this blog’s official title to reflect the name I had decided to give my podcast. “Rapport: The Informal Ethnographer Podcast” (RIEP).
I’ll still use this blog mainly for my ethnography podcast. I’m not really getting any significant feedback about that podcast, but I don’t have any reason to stop doing it. So I’ll maintain that.

But I’ve also been meaning to blog about other things. I could post things on my main blog, but what I have in mind is more structured and that personal blog is anything but structured.

What’s funny, is that what I’m thinking about isn’t that directly related to ethnography. At least, it’s not specific to ethnography.

Basically, I want to share some ideas I have about teaching. More specifically, I want to share little bits and pieces of things I found useful in my teaching experience. Not that I consider myself a better teacher than somebody else or that I have something very unique to share. But talking about teaching is a useful way to think about what it may imply and to enhance our teaching methods. In order to, hopefully, enhance people’s learning.

I don’t really want to do meta-teaching, here: I’m not teaching teachers. My father used to do it and I have some ideas about how that’s done, but it’s not my purpose, here. So this isn’t about telling others what to do or to boast about successes. In fact, while some of the “tidbits” I have in mind may sound like pieces of advice or indications about effective strategies, I mean this feature to be about short reflections on teaching, including challenges faced or failed attempts at using a given strategy.
In fact, I tend to be wary of “tips and tricks,” especially when it comes to teaching. We all have different approaches and what may seem like the best advice to give one person might actually disrupt somebody else’s approach. What works for me may not work for you. Furthermore, what didn’t work for me may in fact be quite appropriate in your case. Either because I wasn’t effective at implementing it or because it’s not appropriate in my context.

My hope is that my tidbits will be a source of inspiration for certain people. Simply put, I just want to share. Much of blogging (and social media in general) is really about sharing thoughts and ideas. In this case, the thoughts and ideas shared will be about teaching.

Part of the inspiration for this new feature is the Quick Hits series from Indiana University‘s Faculty Colloquium on Excellence in Teaching (FACET). I don’t presume to be able to imitate the Quick Hits or produce something similar in any way, but this blog feature is my homage to that series and to FACET, which produces it.

In a sense, it’s my way of giving back to the community.

Back in 2004-2005, I received a Future Faculty Teaching Fellowship (FFTF) to teach in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Indiana University South Bend (IUSB). One important benefit of this program is that it was an opportunity to fully immerse myself in teaching. I had already taught at different institutions, but this was a time to really focus on teaching. Some resources were provided through the FFTF program while others were available at large. In the latter case, I’m mostly thinking about teaching workshops and I attended ad many as I could, during that time. I still do the same, in fact, and I’ve given a few myself. As for FFTF-specific resources, two very valuable things remain on my mind. One is a mentor at the department where I was teaching. I was lucky enough to get two inspiring teachers splitting this task between the two semesters: Becky Torstrick (who was just coming back from a year abroad on a Fullbright covering both research and teaching) and Scott Sernau (who was then chair of the department).
The FFTF also offered a chance to work as a group of fellows across diverse campuses Before the start of the academic year, we were invited to spend a weekend at something close to a retreat during which we all participated in customized sessions on a variety of topics ranging from teaching portfolios to “non-traditional students” (those who are older than the typical age range for undergraduates). It’s during that retreat that we were given copies of one of the Quick Hits books.
The FFTF also brought us together at mid-year, for a series of discussions about our experiences up to that point and as a way to welcome new fellows. That event mostly inspred me to think about a sense of continuity between teachers. Like successive cohorts of students, we were gaining from peers who came before us and had a chance to help those who would come after us. From pithy advice to exam questions, we could reciprocate.

My FFTF year wasn’t my first year of teaching but it was the start of something special in my teaching career.
And it was mostly about getting inspired, not about being told what to do.

What does this have to do with ethnography? Well, again, not much. I did talk about “Teaching Ethnography” in one episode and I do frequently mention teaching as I talk about what I do as an ethnographer. After all, though I’m getting contracts as a “freelance ethnographer” and I do take on other projects using my ethnographic background, my main job as an ethnographer is still that of a teacher in a variety of ethnographic disciplines. Since I’m now using the “Informal Ethnographer” (and “iethnographer”) identity to regroup my work activities, it all makes sense, in my mind.
Besides, my approach to teaching is itself ethnographic. Not just because I do participant-observation in teaching contexts but also because my perspective uses the same considerations as ethnographic research.
There are some things which are specific to ethnographic teaching, in the tidbits I have in mind. But I really want to discuss teaching in general, whether or not it’s applicable as a reflection (or strategy) to disciplines outside of ethnography.
How do I dare do this? Well, it’s my blog and I feel free to use it the way I want to use it.
Those posts won’t be labeled “ethnography” unless they directly relate to ethnography. They’ll all have “ATT” in heir titles, to designate them as part of “Alex’s Teaching Tidbits.” they’ll also be categorized as “Alex’s Teaching Tidbits” using this blog’s simple post taxonomy. So they should be easy to spot and skip.
I don’t have a specific plan in terms of schedule but I do have a fairly long list of potential topics, already. Not sure I’ll cover them all but it’s easy to get started.

So I’ll start.

Filed under: Alex's Teaching Tidbits, announcements, Becky Torstrick, blogposts, FACET, Facukty Colloquium on Excellence in Teaching, FFTF, Future Faculty Teaching Fellowship, Indiana University, Indiana University South Bebd, inspiration, IUSB, Quik Hits, sharing experiences, teachers, teaching, teaching strategies

Step-by-Step Launch: May 7, 2009

1. Worked on podcast show notes.
2. Explored Google Sites.
3. Decided on the podcast and blog names.
4. Clearly separated my Informal Ethnographer identity from my main identity.
5. Decided on “iethnographer” as the short form for Informal Ethnographer profiles.
6. Registered the “iethnographer” name in a few places (domain name, blog, microblogging accounts).
7. Selected the LGPL icon kedit.png from Crystal Project as a logo/icon/avatar for Informal Ethnographer.
8. Created a simplistic site logo from that icon.
9. Added an explanation for Informal Ethnographer.
10. Created a page to list Acronyms, added those accumulated from a Disparate page.
11. Started announcing the site through social media, including Identica and Twitter.
12. Joined the ethnography, anthropology, and ethnomusicology Twibes.
13. Started following ethnographers on Twitter.

Filed under: announcements

Pseudo-FAQ: Informal Ethnographer?

Hello All!

I’ll flesh out Informal Ethnographer as time goes on, but let’s get a few things out of the way, ASAP. Think of it as an FAQ (though no question has been asked).
It’s a copy of a page I posted today. That page will probably change.

whoami?

My name’s Alexandre Enkerli but you can call me “Alex.” You can find out more about me on my main blog, especially in the About section of that blog. You can also search for “Enkerli” just about anywhere online. My last name is quite rare and, with very few exceptions, any content with that name has to do with me.
For the past little while, I’ve been defining myself as a semi-nomadic French-speaking ethnographer from Montreal.
I’m also into:

• Coffee I roast coffee beans at home and I’ve served as a judge at barista championships
• Beer I homebrew and I consider myself a beer geek
• Music I’m a sax player and I’ve been working on music for a while
• Social Media I’ve been online for a while and I usually participate in every social media activity I can think of.

You Call Yourself an “Ethnographer?”

Well, yeah… Professionally and academically, it’s probably the best title I can find. So I stick to it.
One reason I like the term “ethnographer” so much is that it brings together most things I’ve been doing.
I’m an anthropologist specialized in linguistic, cultural, musical, symbolic, and social dimensions of the field. All these specializations can be described as “ethnographic.” I also teach a number of things: linguistic anthropology, cultural anthropology, ethnomusicology, symbolic anthropology, sociology, folkloristics, African studies, the anthropology of religion, and material culture. With all of these, I use an ethnographic approach. So, I feel pretty comfortable calling myself an “ethnographer.” I do ethnography, I teach it, and I think about it in different contexts.
Makes sense.
Something I like about “ethnographer” instead of “anthropologist” is that it’s both more precise and less restrictive. I hold two degrees in anthropology (bachelor’s and master’s, both from Université de Montréal), but I’ve worked outside of anthropology. At the same time, I don’t do much that has to do with archæology or human biology, which are important dimensions of anthropology as an academic discipline in North American.
What’s very cool about the term “ethnographer” in my case is that it’s now my official title. I started signing contracts in which I’m described as a “freelance ethnographer.” I think it’s very fitting.
Besides, some people think that calling yourself an “anthropologist” is presumptuous since they see anthropology as something floating above the work we do. It’d be like a physicist calling herself a “philosopher” because she has a “Ph.D.” or a hospital attendant calling himself a “health specialist” because his work has to do with health. I don’t necessarily agree with that view, and “anthropologist” is used by most people who have at least a graduate degree in anthropology. But it’s interesting to think about.
From experience, I could also say that “anthropologist” is often more confusing than anything else. If I don’t get a blank look when I mention “anthropology,” I get cautious: people who think they know what anthropology is often mistake it for something else. It’s actually a big problem.
With “ethnographer,” I get more blank looks, which is actually a good thing because it allows me to define what I do.
Which brings me to the obvious question:

Erm… So… What Do You Mean by “Ethnography?”

Ah-ha! Excellent question! Glad you asked.
One purpose of this site is to clear up some possible confusion about ethnography.
As is often the case with just about any term, “ethnography” has different meanings for different people. At the same time, there’s enough in common in different definitions that, sometimes, the distinctions aren’t so clear.
Here’s my own working definition (drumroll…):

Ethnography is a descriptive approach to cultural diversity.

Taking this definition apart:

1. Approach This is probably where my definition is the furthest from usual definitions. Instead of saying that ethnography is a research method or a set of research methods. I say it’s an “approach” because it really is a way to “get closer to” a specific subject. “Approach” is one of those terms I like to use because it’s meaningful, complex, and clear all at the same time.
2. Descriptive We don’t necessarily try to predict, try out, compare, experiment with, transform, explain the cause of, or sell our subject. We just try to say how things seem to be. Sure, it can be a step in a given direction, and that’s where ethnography is understood as method. But we still focus on describing. That’s where the “-graph-” part comes in.
3. Diversity We don’t just have a clear-cut object that we take apart, dissect, simplify. We have a whole field of subtle differences. Our subject isn’t monolithic, static, or countable. It’s more about nuances and fluidity.
4. Cultural This is probably the most complicated part and it’s our core object: culture. We come from (and frequently refer to) the nature/nurture debate, we’re on the side of nurture. Not that we think nature doesn’t count. Just that we focus on the other side.

What’s Informal about Informal Ethnographer?

A number of things, actually.
One thing which might be kinda clear, by this point, is that I’m not very formal in the way I write, here. Sure, it probably doesn’t sound as informal as if we were having a conversation in a café or a pub. But it’s a far cry from a peer-reviewed academic journal, a report for a major corporation, or even an article in a mainstream newspaper. I’ve been using a more informal style because it fits. At the same time, I’m not trying to do anything too “cute” or fake. I’m just writing in a way that makes sense to me.
Which has a lot to do with the kind of guy I am. I don’t think I’m fussy or stuffy about pretty much anything. I like to be casual in just about everything I do. This site is a part of that: I want to be myself.
Besides, this site is meant as social media and social media stuff is usually pretty informal. There are some people who complain but the way normal people (as opposed to, say, news organizations) write things online can be found in different styles, from l33tspeak to lolspeak. I probably won’t use IMspeak here, but that’s mostly because I don’t do much IM.
This site is also informal in that it’s not supposed to be academic. I have formal training in academic disciplines and I’ve been teaching in a number of universities, but this isn’t a university site. It’s my own personal site about something I love.
Moreover, I’m not doing any formal research that I will make public, here. Ethnographic projects in which I may be involved are in the background, but I don’t wish to talk about them on this site, partly because it can get tricky in terms of confidentiality. There are ways to solve these issues, but I don’t feel like dealing with those issues too directly.
In other words, this site and any of its content aren’t meant to be reliable, valid, vetted, or even that serious.

What’s on This Site?

So far, not much. I’m in the process of adding more stuff on here and I want to keep this site dynamic. But apart from this page, there’s not a lot of content on this site so far.
Still, I want Informal Ethnographer to have a few things:

1. Blog I’ve created a blog through WordPress.com and I plan on posting a few things on it, on occasion. I call it Headnotes: The Informal Ethnographer Blog (or HIEB for short).
2. Podcast Through that blog, I’ll host an audio podcast, with monthly episodes on different themes. I call it Rapport: The Informal Ethnographer Podcast (or RIEP for short).
3. Pages Apart from the blog and podcast, this site is built through Google Apps. Like anything found in the left-hand “Navigation” section (such as the Acronyms page), the page you’re reading is built in Google Sites, “a free and easy way to create and share webpages.” I want to use it to post some content related to ethnography and I already have a number of ideas of what could be added.
4. Gadgets Still through Google Apps, I’m getting a few neat tools, some of which could be put to good use on a site about ethnography. No big promises here, but I can already see a few cool uses for these tools.

How Can I Reach You?

Simplest way is to email me at info@informalethnographer.com.
You can also find me on Identi.ca and on Twitter.

Can I Contribute to this Site?

Actually, yes, you can. The tools I use allow for collaborative work and I can already imagine myself having podcast cohosts, podcast guests, and guest writers. If you’re interested in contributing, contact me.

Filed under: announcements, African studies, Alexandre Enkerli, anthropologist, anthropology, anthropology degrees, anthropology of religion, beer, coffee, collaboration, contact information, cultural anthropology, cultural diversity, defining ethnography, descriptive approach, ethnographer, ethnography, ethnography as approach, folkloristics, freelance ethnographer, informality, linguistic anthropology, material culture, music, musical anthropology, social media, sociology, symbolic anthropology, tone, writing styles