In the Field in Brazil and the USA: Doing Ethnography in Communication

Abstract

This chapter presents a methodological discussion about ethnographic practice from a feminist perspective that contributes to the field of communication studies methodology and theory. The ethnography engages Black (Afro-Brasileiro and African-American) and economically disadvantaged youth from Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) and New Orleans (USA) regarding their strategies of social and media visibility. This multi-sited ethnography proposes to improve the objectives of ethnography through theoretical flexibility, liberation from a priori assumptions, greater representation of the voices of community members, disavowal of the imperatives of positivist work, and abiding respect for the “other.”

Citation

Maia, A. (2024), "In the Field in Brazil and the USA: Doing Ethnography in Communication", Robinson, L., Moles, K., Moreira, S.V. and Schulz, J. (Ed.) Geo Spaces of Communication Research (Studies in Media and Communications, Vol. 26), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 145-162. https://doi.org/10.1108/S2050-206020240000026012