Send message to Author

Paper short abstract

Drawing from the author's experiences of conducting ethnographic fieldwork in two highly diverse and historical Asian cities, this paper argues for a multimodal approach to urban ethnography that responds to the altered context of the 'field', to ensure a more reflexive and dialogical enquiry.

Paper long abstract

In the context of contemporary societies, the conventional tropes of traditional ethnographic engagement have lost much of their former relevance. Increased global flows, high diversity indices, rapid population movements, and severe constraints on time and resources have significantly shrunk the scope for prolonged ethnographic fieldwork in 'unfamiliar' settings. With that, the image of a lone ethnographer meticulously taking field-notes and maintaining detailed diaries of their time in the field has largely dissipated. In the diverse and dynamic urban landscapes of Asia, ethnographers often find themselves navigating crowds, ‘chaos’, and sensory overwhelm, which can pose challenges for traditional modes of observation and documentation. The altered context of ethnography further implies a transformed relationship between ethnographer and field, especially, when researchers study their own societies. Here, beyond a changed power dynamic, the ‘other’ becomes a site for studying the ‘self’ and vice versa. Given these changes, this paper explores the various ways in which urban spaces in Asia can be engaged with, ‘read’, and documented by a South Asian ethnographer. Drawing from experiences of conducting fieldwork in vernacular urban neighborhoods, paras of Kolkata, India, and kampungs of Surabaya, Indonesia, it examines adaptive ethnographic practices that respond to the evolving contexts. The paper highlights how multimodal approaches like cognitive map-making, ethnographic sketches, and sharper attunement to sensory registers, can foster a more self-reflexive and dialogical engagement with communities. Further, the paper underscores the practical significance of on-site improvisation while offering insights into the constraints researchers face while conducting ethnography in Asian cities.