Paper short abstract:

The Covid-19 pandemic has brought a layer of social reflexivity that was perhaps unprecedented at this scale. The paper evaluates a whole lot of questions about how we constitute our sociality, intimacy, and socio-cultural, and economic aspects through alternative ethnography.

Paper long abstract:

This paper explores digital socialities allowing for greater anonymity than in the physical world, and less surveillance as well. Anthropological methodology especially ethnography, as a discipline, is no exception and will be affected by the pandemic Covid-19. The kinds of field methods like participant-observation have become impossible. But to meet the challenge of the current moment, anthropologists are going to have to think hard about ethnography that are no less ethical, intellectual and at the same time they are practical. It is an opportunity of a lifetime for anthropologists to observe what is unfolding – to observe the practice and ideologies developed to sustain (or resist) social distancing. Different new concepts regarding ethnography, research and policy tools and research ethics will emerge after COVID-19 to respond to pandemic realities. The paper keenly observes community people through what’s app group chats, telephone calls, Facebook group chats, Facebook posts to pinpoint how they are experimenting with their creativities, food culture, either individually or in group over zoom and other virtual tools; whether they are falling ill or participating in following rules and regulations as placed by the state government and local authority. To bear ethics in mind the paper shall concentrate not only on general communities but more specifically on communities of health professionals, medical practitioners. The ethnography of these people in UK will be through zoom and online settings examining different social media and online networks. Questions of ethics can be discussed in this regard.