ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on a rather recent theoretical and methodological approach, digital ethnography. First outlining the basic principles of (digital) ethnography, the chapter then reviews current contributions and research in the field. The rest of the chapter will focus on the phenomenon of ‘camgirls’, i.e. women who broadcast themselves online for a multitude of reasons (e.g. celebrity, income), as a case study. Throughout the discussion on the case study, the chapter engages in dialogue with Teresa Senft’s 2008 seminal ethnographic study on the phenomenon, Camgirls: Celebrity and Community in the Age of Social Networks. This dialogue with Senft’s research will serve to elucidate (i) a historical perspective on digital ethnography as an approach by outlining developments in the field since Senft’s original contribution, and (ii) the precise contribution of ethnographers focusing on language and discourse to the study of gender and sexuality in digital environments, discussed in relation to Senft’s media studies approach. The chapter concludes with proposals for future directions in digital ethnography, in particular in the study of language, gender, and sexuality.
