The “field” in my research
will be in two settings: online and in private dwellings.
As I am investigating online
communities, I will need to observe behaviours in an online space. If I were to take an ethnographic approach, I
could embed myself in a particular community (or two) to observe it from within
for a period of time.
As my research question
concerns spending and economy (to what extent do online communities displace
capital activity?), an individual approach is also necessary; what is the measurable
impact to persons within the online community?
Using Jenna Hartel’s gourmet cooking study as a model, the field in this
case could be an individual’s home living space. Household engagement in hobbies like
gardening and cooking could be observed, described, and considered as cases of
the larger study.
Hartel, J. (2010). Managing documents at home for
serious leisure: A case study of the hobby of gourmet cooking. Journal
of Documentation, 66(6), 847-874.
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