Foundations in Cyber-Ethnography

This book comes at a critical time, as students, professionals, and the general population realize the increasing interdependence of cultural interactions both on and offline. In order to fully understand societies with cyber connectivity, current and future research must also include the ethnographic study of online and digital communication, which can no longer be relegated to a separate cyber space.

Contributors examine the extent to which the cyber is now intertwined with the lives of anyone with connectivity and the ways in which it can affect society on local, national, and global levels. Not only is increased understanding of digital forms of communication and the role of online identity arguably crucial on individual levels -- including professional, personal, and relational contexts -- but also on societal levels -- including economic, diplomatic, and political contexts. Chapters in this volume analyze a number of examples of this importance, from success and security in professional contexts, to the development of personal relationships, to organizing political action, and even impacts on current global conflicts and international relations. Ultimately, this book argues that anyone engaged in the study of human society is compelled to include the study and findings of both online and offline communication in their research in order to gain an accurate and more complete understanding of any given culture with cyber connectivity.