Preparing for my Ethnography
The most important step in writing an ethnography is exploring the subject. In his reading, Boellstorff states that “Crafting a research question is thus often linked to exploration.” One important subject I believe that I should research is the history of online dating. I believe that this is important to set a foundation that explains how and why this concept originated.
Since my focus in my ethnography will be Muslim online dating, I also want to research how the concept of online dating is perceived in Muslim communities. I plan on doing this by interviewing friends and family within my Muslim community to gather their thoughts about online dating, and specifically Muslim online dating.
Tying my ethnography topic to the Islamic culture within Muslim communities is another key factor to writing an effective ethnography. Boellstorff states, “a good research question must, ultimately, center around issues relevant to wider research communities.” Ultimately, it is important for my research to reflect the issues and taboos within Islamic culture. Although I will have narrowed down my point of discussion, by the end of the ethnography I will be able to “ link a delimited and thus doable research question to larger debates.”
From my gathered research, I will be able to craft my research question, which is another integral part in preparing for an ethnography. The first question I hope to address is what causes a Muslim to choose to online date when it is not part of Islamic culture or norms. To answer this question I can draw on the research I find online and through interviews that I conduct. Next, I want to narrow this question down. Although Muslim dating is seen as taboo within communities, what justifies the concept of Islamic online dating apps? For example, typically it is not preferred for men and women to “date” in the westernized sense. In Islamic culture a man and woman get to know each other through mutual friends and by spending time with each other in the presence of family, and private socializing is looked down upon.
Finally, I want to research and understand the Muslim dating sites themselves. What makes them different? How do they attract a plethora of Muslims? Are there different sites that offer different services? What is the difference between online dating sites and traditional matrimonial services?
