Tools of the game. Qualitative digital methodologies for the e-sports research

• Authors: Marcin Zaród

Title variants

Sprzęt do gry. Narzędzia do cyfrowych badań jakościowych w obszarze e-sportu

• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

This article adopts methodology from digital qualitative studies in order to discuss issues specific to e-sport research in the sociology of sport. The applied concepts are built on a critical discussion of the existing theories and cases from the author’s fieldwork on e-sports among hackers. The employed theories and methods are taken from virtual ethnography, netnography, and digital ethnography. These approaches are discussed critically, especially regarding their relations with Science and Technology Studies and Communication and Media Studies. The paper advocates acknowledging the cognitive approach from virtual ethnography, while dropping the approach to virtuality in favor of other theories of spatiality, with the theory of infrastructure as the backbone. It discusses the usability of Kozinets’ netnographical genres and their potential differences, but proposes a more practical solution to autonetnography. Finally, it shows how different frameworks in digital ethnography can be used in the context of e-sport research. The last part of the article is devoted to some practical advice based on discussions and practice.

PL

Artykuł adaptuje metodologie z wybranych obszarów jakościowej socjologii cyfrowej na potrzeby problemów badawczych specyficznych dla socjologii e-sportu. Proponowane koncepcje są oparte na krytycznym przeglądzie istniejących teorii oraz przypadkach z własnej etnografii e-sportu hakerskiego. Zaplecze teoretyczne stanowią różne koncepcje socjologii cyfrowej: etnografii wirtualnej, netnografii i etnografii cyfrowej. Przegląd uzupełniają perspektywy ze studiów nad nauką oraz badań mediów i komunikacji. Z koncepcji wirtualnej etnografii zaczerpnięto perspektywę poznawczą, przy jednoczesnym wyborze innych podejść do wirtualności, roli miejsca i teorii infrastruktury. Z koncepcji netnografii czerpie wskazania co do gatunków netnografii, przy zaproponowaniu bardziej praktycznych podejść do autoetnografii. Z etnografii cyfrowej artykuł bierze ramy badawcze i pokazuje konteksty ich użycia w przypadkach e-sportu. Ostatnia część artykułu koncentruje się na poradach praktycznych, zaczerpniętych z analizy innych koncepcji i praktyki własnej.

Keywords

EN

sociology of sport; e-sport research; ethnography; netnography; digital sociology

PL

socjologia sportu; socjologia e-sportu; etnografia; netnografia; socjologia cyfrowa; socjologia sportu; socjologia e-sportu; etnografia; netnografia; socjologia cyfrowa

• Publisher: Uniwersytet Łódzki. Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Łódzkiego
• Journal: Przegląd Socjologii Jakościowej
• Year: 2021
• Volume: 17
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 26-40

Dates

published

2021-02-28

Contributors

author

Marcin Zaród

• Digital Sociology Working Group / University of Warsaw

• https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3005-286X

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Identifiers

DOI

10.18778/1733-8069.17.1.03