In the newly published edited volume Practicing Digital Ethnography, edited by Devin Proctor, Dr. Mitra Shamsi contributes the chapter “Navigating Iranian digital feminist activism through multi-sited mobile ethnography.” The volume brings together contributions from 60 international authors across twelve chapters and combines theoretical foundations with case studies and conceptual explorations of digital ethnographic research. It addresses, among other topics, social media, virtual spaces, hybrid digital-physical contexts, as well as methodological tools such as AI-assisted approaches, mapping technologies, and multimodal methods. At the same time, the collection engages with the specific ethical challenges of conducting research in digital environments. Mitra Shamsi’s chapter reflects on the research process of a multi-sited mobile ethnography investigating digital feminist activism in Iran.
Abstract of her Chapter
This chapter reflects on the researcher’s journey conducting a multi-sited mobile ethnography to explore digital feminist activism in Iran. It discusses methodological challenges of researching a nuanced and evolving field where study subjects are mobile across multiple hybrid platforms. The study traces activists’ practices, materials, and narratives as they navigate interconnected digital spaces. The text explores how the ethnographic place emerged through the researcher’s movements across ongoing discussions, following people and artifacts over three years. This reflection contributes to understanding how ethnography adapts to fluid research sites where discourses circulate and transform, capturing dynamics, content, and context.
Shamsi, M. (2026). “Navigating Iranian digital feminist activism through multi-sited mobile ethnography” in Practicing Digital Ethnography, ed. D. Proctor. Routledge.