Ethnographyon the Internet: The Exampleof a Course in ContemporaryJudaism Martha J. Reineke University of Northern lowa http ://www.u n i.edu/rei neke

A. Studentsexploredthe High Holy Days on the web using a worksheetderived from Chapter5, in Writing EthnographicFieldnotesby Robert Emerson,Rachel Fretz,and Linda Shaw. lt facilitatedtheir enhanced encounter with Judaism as a living, vital religion. Studentscompletedthis worksheetby workingwith the followingthree websitesfrom synagogues(Conservative,Reform,Orthodox)that were observingthe High HolyDays.

B . Each studentchose a topic of intereston which to focus their ethnographicprojectand the class session associatedwith that project. Eachstudentcreateda handoutto distributeto the classat the beginningof their teaching practicum. Electronicethnographyoffered studentsincreased opportunities to employ the tools of ethnography in the study of religion. Michellefocused on how children'stoys and other child-orientedproductson the W\AM/ enable us to learn more aboutways in which Jews are dealingwith questionsof identityand assimilation.In addition to asking studentsto browsethe multi-layeredsite, Michelleasked them to read as homeworkprior to class the essay,""JewswithoutJudaism? Assimilation and Jewishldentityin the UnitedStates" by RobertAmyot and Lee Sigelman. Studentsworked in small groupson the assignedquestionsand reportedto each otheron their responses. Travisaskedstudentsto visit web sitesthat young men had createdas Bar Mitzvahprojects.The young men's projectsincludedextensivenarrativesof the Bar Mitzvahserviceas well as their reactionsto it. Travis supplementedhis \ A A/t/ researchwith library researchon Bar Mitzvah history and practices, which he summarizedfor the class. He also read severalguidesto Bar Mitzvahswrittenby rabbiswhich he foundon the W\ A// and integratedthese into his analysis. Pete asked studentsto work in smallgroupson the questionshe had createdfor the handoutin orderfor them to link their reflectionon the web sites with analysisof the assignedtexts. In introducinghis practicum,Pete sharedhis frustrationsin initiallyfindinglittlediscussionabout beliefin God on the \MMN. But a comment by Glazer (AmericanJudaism),opened up the \MA /V for him. Glazerwrites that "formal theologicalbeliefs have never been greatly emphasizedin Judaism ...the issue is not creed and conviction;piety and faith are expressedin acts, in the performanceof hundredsof commandments" (132). Glazer'sinsightsenabledPeteto focus his searchfor God in Judaismon ways in whichtalk about aboutcommandments(mitzvot). God emergesout of conversations Each studentwrote an ethnography. The titles demonstratehow this projectoffered studentsincreased opportunities to mediate between faith and knowledge,members' meanings and analytic reflection: My Searchfor God in Judaism: Orthodoxand ReformNotionsof God PersonalExpressionsof MitzvotSharedby SpirituallyConsciousJews via the Internet Draydelsfor Sale. Toy Salesand JewrshContinuityon the Web "Shabbat, An lslandof HolyTime in a Sea of SecularActivity:"The Transformation of Timeand Spacein the ShabbatCelebration Beliefin God Among HolocaustSurvivors "90% Bar and 10% Mitzvah?"Bar MitzvahConcernsamong Contemporary Jews Who am l? Who are We? The Developmentof PersonalldentitythroughAssociationwith Ancestryand Interactionwith Community among Jewish College Students in the Jewish Campus Organizational Setting RoshHashanah:Proclamation and Repentance throughRitual Shidduch:A Studyof Matchmakingand JewishViewstowardMarriageUsingthe SephardicJudaism: Cultureand ldentitvon the WV\AN

Members' Meanings, Worksheet Chapter5, Pursuing Members'Meanings II. Representing 1) Everyday questionsand answers: Key: websitesare not "raw"factsor data. Theyset fortha specificsetting.Ourjob is to find out at this web site? What is the specific whatthis settingis about.What meaningsare constructed meanings constructed? meanings? For what reasons are these contextof these 1. What questionsare being asked at your site? What answersare offered? (Clue: at "teaching/learning"sitesimplicitgroup meaningsare often made visible) 2. For events: Whatwasthe eventaboutfor its members? (Clue: membersoftenhighlight qualitiesthey consider specialor uniquewhenpresenting/describing it). 3. What is newto you at this site? (Clue: in acclimatingto a seftingand learningit for yourself, you may learn wh.atis importantin the seftingitself becausefhe site may be designedto instruct and socializeyisifors to ds seftrng. However, where possrb/echeck you leaming againstwhatis new for groupmembersin theirlearning).

2) Members'stories: but expresstheir creators'experiences Key: Web sitesare not factualaccountsof happenings momentin time,for a specificaudience,and in orderto accomplish and viewsat a particular particularpurposes. '1. a) b) c)

Tryto findtwo sitesthattell storiesaboutthe sameevents,beliefs,practices. Whatdetailsarethesame? Howare keyaspectsorderedin similarand in differentways? offeredfor the event,belief,practices?What is sameandwhat Whatarethe interpretations is different?

2. a) b) c)

the two sites,answerthesequestions: Aftercomparing Whatarethe creators'or contributors'views? Who is theiraudience, as youcangather? Whataretheirpurposes?

3) Members'terms,types, typologies: in usesof and differences meanings, we needto comparesimilarities Key: to leamindigenous relatedterms. 1. For the two sites above,are any wordssharedin common? Do thesewordsseemto be usedin the sameway at bothsites? Explain. 2. Lookingat the key words,are any of the terms organizedin terms of typesof something? (e.9., a studentis a type that can be differentiatedby terms such as eager, reluctant; majoretc.) religion, business beginning, advanced;

Worksheet on Emerson, Ch.5. Partll l.

Members'Categories in Use:

We needto knowwhen,where,and how membersusetermsand howthey categorizeevents, objects,practices, and beliefs.To becomemoresensitiveto members'categories consider: 1) Story-telling: a. ls the story-telling abouta pastevent? b. ls the story-telling aboutthe present? c. ls thestorymakingrecommendations? d. To whomis the storybeingtold? e. Froma-d above,whatseemsto be the purposeof the story? 2) Members'Terms: To learnmeanings, attendto multipleusesof theterm: a. Whatactionsaretakingplacewhenthetermis beingused? b. Howdo personscontestthe term (refuse,reject,challengeit)? c. Howdo personsmakethe casefor usingthe term? (i.e.criteria) d. Howdo personsresolveconflictif they disagreeaboutwhethera term shouldbe used? (ex' lf "snaking"means "a salesclerksteals anotherclerk's customer,"the definitionmust be shorthandfor a more comptex definitionof "stealing"at which the ethnographerwould arriveonly after lookingat the term in use and answeringa-d above).

ll. Race,Gender,Class When we talk about these meaningsethnographically, we start with "experience-nead' phenomena. Theoretical analyses comelaterin the project. lf youwantto talkaboutrace,gender,classin yourethnography: 1) choose a site in which these categories are already being discussed by the members. 2) choose a site in which theoretical questions of race, gender, and class can be informedlater by ethnographicwork done now. In the field: a) do membersexplicitlytalk or act towardeachotherin waysthat drawon meanings

of race,gender,or class?

b) are patternsvisiblein grouprelationsthat suggestthat categories of race,gender,or

classarebeingdrawnon implicitly?

c) Classis difficultto encounter in the ethnographic contextbecauseit seldomis an

explicitmeaning.Marksof class(e.9.consumption of goods)canbetracked.

lll. Localeventsandsocialforces Howdo youtalk aboutlargersocialforcesthat may informyourfieldsetting? 1) Howdo members talkabouttheirconnections withoutsideentitiesandsocialforces? 2) How are membersconnectedwith other groups (mappingsocial forces across groups)? groupsmustbe studiedovertimeto seelargersocialforcesat work. 3) Frequently,

FieldNotesWorksheet Processing (fromChapter 6 - Emerson) l. OpenCoding 1) Readallthe notesat onceas a corpus. 2) Readlineby line. 3) ln marginsmakenotesor writenumberin marginsand makenotesthat conespondto the page. numberon a separate 4) Topicsof notes: a) b) c) d)

patterns formulate ideas,themes,issues,topics,connections, aimto capturewitha wordor phrasewhatis goingon on thatlineor seriesof lines thesephrasesare"thinking throughyourfingers" to stimulate andshapeyourreflection. processis emphasized (wedont usethe "why"wordwhencoding). notmotivations

5) To discovershortphrasesask: a) b) c) d) e) 0 g) h) i) j)

whatarepeopledoing? whataretheytryingto accomplish? howaretheydoingthis? howaretheytalkingaboutthistopichere? whatstrategies arebeingused? howaretheytalkingaboutwhatis goingon? whatis important to peoplehere? whatdo I seegoingon? whatam I leaminghere? whydid I takenoteson this?

6) Don'taim for a shortlist: jot downas manyideasas possibleanddon'tworrywhileyou are jottingaboutwhetheror howyouwill usetheseideas. Don'tselecttwo or threethemesand try to seethemeverywhere.

ll. Memoing 1) Jotdowninsightsandthemesaboutwhatyouareseeingin yourcodes. 2) Makeas manymemosas you like. lll. Themes 1) Whatpatterns/insights/themes keepcomingup in yourmemos? 2) Whatdo youseeoverandoverin yourcodes? sort yournotesby themes. Key: keepa clean 3) Afteryou haveanswered thesequestions, copyof yournotes' do notsortyouroriginal. lV. Focused Coding 1) Returnto yournoteswithyourset of themes. 2) Do youseenewideasandpatterns!' the memoingandthematicanalysis. 3) Codeyourdataagainandcontinue Memos- nextworksheet. V. Integrative