Ethnography of the ephemeral: studying temporary scenes through individual and collective approaches

Abstract

Ethnographic research is an iterative process in which layers of knowledge gradually accumulate as we spend time in a setting. The information that presents itself most immediately may be fascinating, but is rarely the type of truth that distinguishes good scholarship. How, then, do we come to understand settings and interactions that are of short durations, where our first-hand observations may be limited to a few hours or days? I present three challenges associated with studying short-term events, and potential solutions to each: gaining entrée and finding a productive position from which to observe the scene; the hazards posed by immediately available informants and pre-existing roles; and finally the effect of short, intense field seasons on the refinement of research questions and analysis of data. Insights are drawn from an independent, multi-year study on county fairs, and a collaborative study of the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada – a four-day event that draws over 100,000 attendees. Concluding remarks contrast the two approaches and reflect on lessons learned from each.

Keywords:

• ethnography
• collaborative methodology
• temporary events
• trade shows
• fairs

Acknowledgements

This work would not have been possible without the advance organizational and intellectual work undertaken by ‘swarm leaders’ Josh Greenberg and Julian Kilker. I also wish to thank the other swarm participants for their insights and assistance during the study and after, and especially Joy Pierce for her initiative and efforts toward this publication. My own participation was facilitated by a research sabbatical granted by the University of North Florida.

Notes

1. Longtime volunteers, I noticed, did not share this problem. Having known many of the exhibitors for many years, and having a greater familiarity with the processes involved in accepting fair exhibits, they easily fell into conversations about events that had transpired since the last fair, the type and quality of exhibits being entered, or local events.