Foundations in Cyber-Ethnography
A Cross-Cultural Approach
Published on 14. May 2026
Book
Hardback
264 pages
978-1-6669-7421-8 (ISBN)
Description
Contributors to this volume contend that in the realm of research on human society, online and digital communication can no longer be relegated to a separate cyber space and should instead be considered in equal part by integrating cyber-ethnographic methods.
Coming at a critical time where students, professionals, and the general population realize the increasing interdependence of cultural interactions both offline and online, Foundations of Cyber-Ethnography provides a framework for studying and presenting findings from both forms of communication.
Using this framework, contributors investigate the effects of the inextricable link between the cyber and networked societies on individual, local, national, and global contexts. Each chapter provides compelling examples to demonstrate the importance of forming a fuller understanding of digital communication and the role of online identity in a wide range of professional, personal, relational, economic, diplomatic, and political contexts.
Coming at a critical time where students, professionals, and the general population realize the increasing interdependence of cultural interactions both offline and online, Foundations of Cyber-Ethnography provides a framework for studying and presenting findings from both forms of communication.
Using this framework, contributors investigate the effects of the inextricable link between the cyber and networked societies on individual, local, national, and global contexts. Each chapter provides compelling examples to demonstrate the importance of forming a fuller understanding of digital communication and the role of online identity in a wide range of professional, personal, relational, economic, diplomatic, and political contexts.
Reviews / Votes
Over the past decade, the cyber domain has expanded exponentially, transforming otherwise-diverse operations ranging from espionage, conflict, and military weapons systems to music, art, and other areas of popular culture. In this volume, the two distinguished editors convene internationally renowned anthropologists and ethnologists to examine the virtual cultures emerging from these developments in concise and insightful new studies. * George Lucas, Professor of Ethics and Public Policy, Southern Illinois University, USA, and Author of Ethics and Cyber Warfare (2017) *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United States
Publishing group
Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Illustrations
24 bw illus
Dimensions
Height: 235 mm
Width: 157 mm
Thickness: 19 mm
Weight
538 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-6669-7421-8 (9781666974218)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
02/2026
1st Edition
Bloomsbury Academic
€98.99
Available for download
E-Book
02/2026
1st Edition
Bloomsbury Academic
€98.99
Available for download
Persons
Erica Zimmerman is Professor of Japanese Language and Intercultural Communications in the Languages and Cultures Department at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, USA.
Clementine Fujimura is Professor and Cultural Anthropologist in the Department of Leadership, Ethics and Law at the United States Naval Academy, USA.
Clementine Fujimura is Professor and Cultural Anthropologist in the Department of Leadership, Ethics and Law at the United States Naval Academy, USA.
Content
Acknowledgements
1. The Cyber Impact on Culture: The History of Cyber-Ethnography and Current Ethical Considerations
Erica Zimmerman (United States Navel Academy, USA) and Clementine Fujimura (United States Navel Academy, USA)
Part I: Influencers and Influencing: Changes and Shifts in Popular Culture
2. Gen Zen? How Young People Adapt AI Chatbots for Emotional Support Uncovering New Mental Health Interventions
Pamela Pavliscak (Pratt Institute, USA)
3. Interrogating Interaction on Instagram: Focal Practice, Social Connections and Identity Online
Nova Seals (Phillips Exeter Academy, USA)
4. Prideful Actions, Shameful Identities: Hybridity in International K-pop Fan Communities
Samantha James (Auburn University, USA)
5. Digital Consumption and Digital Emotions: A Netnographic Analysis of Emotions on Twitch Technology and Society: The Process of Digitizing Emotions
Vincenzo Auriemma (University of Salerno, Italy) and Gennaro Iorio (University of Salerno, Italy)
Part II: Social Media's Influence on the Culture Surrounding Military Conflicts and Alliances
6. The Power of the Imagined in Russian Dissident Online Communities
Clementine Fujimura
7. The Meme Information War in Support of Ukraine: Humor in a Dark Time
Terilee Edwards-Hewitt (Montgomery College, USA)
8. (Virtual) Ethnography and the Study of the Palestinian-Israeli (Digital) Conflict: Reflections on Why Words (don't) Matter
Deborah Wheeler (United States Naval Academy, USA)
9. Iconic Offline Cultural Events as Constructed on Official US and Japanese Military Social Media Sites: A Cross-Cultural Comparison
Erica Zimmerman
Epilogue: Cyber-Ethnography: Looking Ahead
Erica Zimmerman and Clementine Fujimura
About the Contributors
Index
1. The Cyber Impact on Culture: The History of Cyber-Ethnography and Current Ethical Considerations
Erica Zimmerman (United States Navel Academy, USA) and Clementine Fujimura (United States Navel Academy, USA)
Part I: Influencers and Influencing: Changes and Shifts in Popular Culture
2. Gen Zen? How Young People Adapt AI Chatbots for Emotional Support Uncovering New Mental Health Interventions
Pamela Pavliscak (Pratt Institute, USA)
3. Interrogating Interaction on Instagram: Focal Practice, Social Connections and Identity Online
Nova Seals (Phillips Exeter Academy, USA)
4. Prideful Actions, Shameful Identities: Hybridity in International K-pop Fan Communities
Samantha James (Auburn University, USA)
5. Digital Consumption and Digital Emotions: A Netnographic Analysis of Emotions on Twitch Technology and Society: The Process of Digitizing Emotions
Vincenzo Auriemma (University of Salerno, Italy) and Gennaro Iorio (University of Salerno, Italy)
Part II: Social Media's Influence on the Culture Surrounding Military Conflicts and Alliances
6. The Power of the Imagined in Russian Dissident Online Communities
Clementine Fujimura
7. The Meme Information War in Support of Ukraine: Humor in a Dark Time
Terilee Edwards-Hewitt (Montgomery College, USA)
8. (Virtual) Ethnography and the Study of the Palestinian-Israeli (Digital) Conflict: Reflections on Why Words (don't) Matter
Deborah Wheeler (United States Naval Academy, USA)
9. Iconic Offline Cultural Events as Constructed on Official US and Japanese Military Social Media Sites: A Cross-Cultural Comparison
Erica Zimmerman
Epilogue: Cyber-Ethnography: Looking Ahead
Erica Zimmerman and Clementine Fujimura
About the Contributors
Index