Abstract
The emergence of new trends such as openness in digitalising information has led to sharing, collaborating, and selection of texts and images both visual and illustrative. These trends will provide rich, unique visual images in blogs, websites, and social media, which will contribute to research knowledge in specific and intradisciplinary mode. However, research in digital ethnography has to be collaborative and participatory and realistic without losing the unique rich history and their place-based knowledge and time-bound contexts. The number of studies have to be collated to look at the trends and patterns and the significant findings so that there are valid and realistic contribution to the different fields. The competencies of researchers to develop digital ethnography are explored in detail. They are exploring through cross cultural communication skills, skills in participatory processes within the social context, and science-technology-society approach within diverse indigenous groups both locally and globally.
TopSignificance Of Using Digital Technology
Digital technology can be of various kinds. They can be used on social media and with multiple internet users. Ethnographic research online is called “netnography, which helps to adapt ethnographic research to many communities online. Ethnographic research helps researchers to know about people’s behaviour lives and cultures over time and the study can be conducted anytime and anyplace. The research is conducted as part of living experiences within their contexts. There are critical views that these experiences may not be abstracted from online research but the intervention of digital tools supports the manifold narratives of the presence of the indigenous people through online mode. Furthermore, the various ways of knowing are also embedded in qualitative research. Researchers get to know their beliefs, experiences, and perspectives and view the images of the crafts, tools, and symbols and connect the meaning of their lives to the local contexts they live in. Firstly, digital media provides rich descriptive visuals, narratives from interviews and emotions. Their long-term deprivation or injustice and marginalisation are not just stories but very important themes which can be used to change policy and to make their lives inclusive (Fish & Counts, 2020).
Underberg developed digital technology for the sake of preserving and conserving the narratives and cultural heritage of the indigenous people (Underberg & Zorn, 2013). There are additional roles for anthropologists as the two authors discuss the intervention of technology in the lives of anthropologists. Both Underberg and Zorn explore the expansion of the roles of ethnographers who will have to create virtual representations of cultural experiences. They see emergent roles which will involve a collaborative network of ethnographers, and technical experts working with communities to produce cultural ideas experientially and integrate them into a project design (Underberg & Zorn, 2013). Digital ethnography helps in transforming and adapting ethnographic storytelling into many different forms of media, (Underberg & Zorn, 2013).
Questions have been raised on the challenges which are emerging regarding the loss of languages and the rights of the indigenous lands. The traditional land called Sapmi has a heterogenous population and this extends over Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia. The problems which they face is the loss of language, loss of rights to their land and challenges that the communities struggle with continuously (Cocq, 2021).
Researchers can help bring their views forward and empower the community by creating a voice for policymaking so that indigenous human rights are held as significant as those of non-indigenous people. There are advancements within indigenous contexts in the use of technology although there is a long way to go for the advancement of technology.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Digital Ethnography: Digital technology can be of various kinds. They can be used on social media and with multiple internet users. Ethnographic research online is called “netnography, which helps to adapt ethnographic research to many communities online. Ethnographic research helps researchers to know about people’s behaviour lives and cultures over time and the study can be conducted anytime and anyplace.
Orang Asli: Orang Asli, an Indigenous Group of Malaysia having own language nd indigenous knowledge of ‘Green technology’ (IKGT) which is reported by Malaysian researchers demonstrates that there are practices that can enhance the sustainable development of the environment.