Doing Ethnographical Research on Transnationalism

Abstract

The discourse on globalization, cosmopolitanism and transnationalism has fuelled the discussion on methodological approaches to the study of transborder and global processes. In the field of transnational studies, George Marcus's proposal of a multi-sited ethnography (MSE) is one of the most frequently adopted approaches. The discussion and critique of MSE in this article reveal partly different theoretical and methodological premises of transnational studies along two dimensions. On the basis of the experiences of four doctoral students applying ethnographical strategies, ambivalences of ethnographical research on transnational processes are explored and identified. It is argued that a transnational imaginary has to be developed, which is not a methodological prescription for conducting transnational ethnographic research, but rather guidance in a complex terrain of transnational interconnections.

Keywords:

• multi-sited ethnography
• transnational imaginary
• mobility
• ethnographical sites