EPIC Board of Directors Melissa Cefkin, IBM, President Alexandra Mack, Pitney Bowes, Treasurer ...

453 Pages·2013·8.81 MB·English

EPIC Board of Directors
Melissa Cefkin, IBM, President
Alexandra Mack, Pitney Bowes, Treasurer
Maria Bezaitis, Intel, Secretary
ken anderson, Intel, Special Projects

EPIC Leads
Kathy Baxter, Google, Sponsorship (USA)
John Payne, Moment, Communications and Web Assets (USA)
Rachel Singh, Independent, Proceedings (UK)

Outstanding EPIC Volunteers
Marietta Baba, Michigan State University (USA)
Jeanette Blomberg, IBM (USA)
Sue Faulkner, Intel (USA)
Arvind Venkataramarni, SonicRim (USA)
The National Association for the Practice of Anthropology (NAPA) is pleased to welcome
you to this ninth annual Ethnographic Praxis in Industry Conference. NAPA is a section of the
American Anthropological Association and supports the work of practicing anthropology by helping
practitioners refine their skills, develop their careers, and market their services,
www.practicinganthropology.org
Lenora Bohren– President Carla Guerron Montero – Governing Council
Tim Wallace – Past President Chad Morris – Governing Council
John Massad – Treasurer & President- Melissa Stevens – Governing Council
elect David Himmelgreen and Satish Kedia, NAPA Bulletin
Lisa Henry – Secretary Editors
Pam Puntenney – Governing Council

The American Anthropological Association, the primary professional society of
anthropologists in the United States since its founding in 1902, is the world's largest
professional organization of individuals interested in anthropology. We are proud to be an
EPIC sponsor again this year.

Leith Mullings, CUNY Graduate Center – President
Monica Heller, U Toronto – President-Elect
Margaret Buckner, U Nevada Las Vegas – Secretary
Edmund Hamman, U Nebraska – Treasurer
Ana Aparicio, Northwestern U
Alex Barker, U Missouri
Niko Besnier, U Amsterdam
Susan Gillespie, U Florida
A Lynn Bolles, U Maryland
David A. Himmelgreen, U South Florida
Sandra L. Lopez Varela, U Autónoma de Morelos
Fran Mascia-Lees, Rutgers
Karen Williams, CUNY Graduate Center
Karen Nakamura, Yale U
Cheryl Mwaria, Hofstra U
Ida Susser, Hunter Coll, CUNY
Rayna Rapp, New York U
Alisse Waterston, New York U

American Anthropological Association
2300 Clarendon Blvd, Suite 1301 • Arlington, VA 22201
phone [phone]; fax [phone] • www.aaanet.org

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CONFERENCE ORGANIZERS WELCOME
Welcome to EPIC 2013 and to the dynamic city of London. We are delighted you have
chosen to attend the 9th annual EPIC conference and hope this will be an exciting and
rewarding experience for you. London is a global city and one that lies at the heart of
anthropology’s story. This mattered greatly in its selection as host city for EPIC 2013. We
hope the scale, dynamism and diversity of London will rub off on attendees who will find a
city of sophistication and leading-edge thinking and practice. In part because of the broad
range of practices and influences in this city we decided not to have an overarching theme at
EPIC this year. London is home to many communities, traditions and energies that
intertwine and flow. Presenters and attendees are thus encouraged to engage with and be
influenced by these multiple muses.
Another reason for the location choice is that London can also justifiably claim to be at
the heart of anthropology’s story. London has played a pivotal role in the development of
anthropology as a discipline from the formative years in the early 20th century to more
recently developments in multi-disciplinarily and application in industry. This is particularly
evident through centres of teaching and research excellence in the discipline (UCL, LSE,
Goldsmiths) and through anthropology’s suffusion into other educational settings such as
centres of design (Central St Martins, Royal College of Art) and business (London Business
School, Cass). Of course London is also home to a large number of practitioners of
ethnographic praxis, in businesses and agencies of many sizes providing a wide range of
business services. Our choice of location at the Royal Institution of Great Britain seems
apposite given our intention to foster the exchange of ideas across disciplines and to widen
the ‘gene pool’ of the EPIC community.
EPIC 2013 features a wide range of ethnographic applications in industry, policy
making and design, with contributions from Asia, Latin America, Europe, and North
America. Contributions speak to multiple themes, such as ethnographers’ relation to Big
Data, complexity, mobility and technology, the informational economy, new forms of
sensory marketing, rituals of consumption and many other topics.
To give these topics space for discussion we have also introduced new formats. Firstly,
Salons, which draw inspiration from the historical period when the venue was designed and
built, are design to create intimate conversations on key topics. Second, the Town Hall
debate provides a venue for a large audience to discuss opportunities and challenges facing
ethnographic praxis from data analytics and new processes of more rapid product and
service development. We hope that the venue and the city, the people you meet and the
content and activities you participate in will give you the opportunity to reflect on your
work, explore new possibilities for the diffusion of ethnographic practice. Our aim has been
to create a program that will renew your passion for and interest in your work and allow you
to feel part of an energetic professional community.
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Our sincere thanks go to a highly energetic and creative team of local supporters who
have contributed in thoughts, words and deeds to this year’s event. We sincerely hope their
attention to detail will not go unnoticed. Our special thanks go to the entire program
committee for their work in selecting and curating a body of high quality papers, artefacts,
pechakucha presentations and workshops. The committee was supported by a larger body of
reviewers that evaluated the submissions and provided feedback to the authors. We extend
our thanks also to the advisory committee who were forthcoming with support and advice
during the year and whose collective experience allows the EPIC experience to be consistent,
and consistently high quality. We would also like to give a special mention to the
Proceedings team who worked within tight deadlines to ensure that this document reached
attendees in time for the event. Our special thanks to Ed Liebow and Inga Treitler for
sharing their wisdom from past years to help make a complex process as smooth as possible,
and Bev Langevine for lending a hand this year.
Most importantly, we want to offer our sincere thanks to our 2013 sponsors whose
support literally makes EPIC possible. At the time of writing this introduction the following
companies had committed their support to the conference: Intel, Citrix, Microsoft, Google,
Convo, Steelcase, Pitney Bowes, Moment Design, In/situm, Facebook, Sony, IBM, Sapient,
MIT Press (IJLM), Experientia, ID, Daishinsha, ReD, SCAD, Osaka Gas, Fujitsu, PDD,
Gravity Tank. AAA, Microsoft, Claro, DigitasLBI, UCL, Hakuhodo. Finally, we want to
express our appreciation to The Royal Institution of Great Britain for providing a beautiful
facility that has created a unique setting for EPIC 2013. We also wish to acknowledge the
support of the American Anthropological Association and the National Association for
Practicing Anthropologists for their contributions of people and financial resources.
Please enjoy the Proceedings, as an official record of EPIC 2013 and as a reminder of
your experience in London. We look forward to welcoming you to EPIC 2014 in New York
City.

Simon Roberts, ReD Associates
Timothy de Waal Malefyt, Fordham University
Catriona Macaulay, University of Dundee
Rachel Singh, Independent
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CONFERENCE ORGANIZATION

EPIC2013 Co-Chairs Media & Communications
Simon Roberts, ReD Associates John Payne, Moment
Timothy de Waal Malefyt, Fordham Kate Saunderson, University of Dundee
Business School, NYU Gabrielle Ackroyd, University College
Catriona Macaulay, University of Dundee London/Truth
Rachel Singh, Independent
Sponsorships
Doctoral and Masters Colloquium Kathy Baxter, Google
Jeanette Blomberg, IBM Nik Pollinger, WidePR
Marietta Baba, Michigan State University John Curran, JC Innovation & Strategy
Nina Wakeford, Goldsmiths College
Alex Taylor, Microsoft Proceedings
Rachel Singh, Independent
Papers Bev Langevine, Trufflenet
Hiroshi Tamura, University of Tokyo
Martha Cotton, gravitytank Conference Collateral
Martin Ortlieb, Google Chiara Garattini, Intel
Rogerio Abreu de Paula, IBM Ian Williamson, Fjord
Stefana Broadbent, University College John Toubakaris, Independent
London
Volunteers
Artefacts Jess Perriam, Goldsmiths College
Alicia Dornadic, Independent
Adam Drazin, University College London Social
Elizabeth Corbin, University College
PechaKucha London
Suzanne L. Thomas, Intel Molly Johansson, University College London
Han Pham, Intel
Registration
Salons Stephanie Lindsdale, ReD Associates
Simon Pulman-Jones, GfK Josephine Farr, Goldsmiths College
Stokes Jones, Motorola Mobility
Kathy Baxter, Google Wayfinding
Rich Radka, Claro Partners Kathia Sya, Goldsmiths
Dominik Hoehn, LSE
Workshops
Catriona Macaulay, University of Dundee
Simon Roberts, ReD Associates
Amy Huckfield, Independent

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CONFERENCE SPONSORS

COMMONERS
PLATINUM Claro Partners
Intel Corporation Convo
Microsoft Daishinsha Marketing
Communication Technologies
SAPPHIRE Experientia
International Journal of Learning Fujitsu
and Media (MIT Press) gravitytank
SapientNitro Hakuhodo Innovation Lab
In/situm
SILVER IIT Institute of Design
Citrix Truth Partners
Facebook Moment Design
Google STBY
IBM
PDD PRODUCING SPONSORS
ReD Associates National Association for the
Steelcase Practice of Anthropology
University College London

LORDS
American Anthropological
Association
DigitasLBi
Osaka Gas
Pitney-Bowes
Sony

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REVIEWERS

All of the program submissions are peer-reviewed. The Program Committee would like to thank the
following individuals for their volunteer efforts.

Ken Anderson Susana La Luz-Houchin Nimmi Rangaswamy
Luis Arnal Sam Ladner Tye Rattenbury
Paula Bach Jennifer Lee Deepa Reddy
Jonathan Bean Christian Licoppe Simon Roberts
Mekayla Beaver Dan Lockton Frank Romagosa
Maria Bezaitis Jerry Lombardi Autumn Sanders
Jeanette Blomberg Catriona Macaulay Sebastian Schnorf
Stefana Broadbent Alexandra Mack Fabian Segelström
Jacob Buur Cody Madsen John F. Sherry
Melissa Cefkin Lise Marken Carey Stansbury
Rive Citron Bill Maurer Hiroshi Tamura
Martha Cotton Maryann McCabe Elizabeth Tunstall
Rogerio Abreu de Paula Anne McClard Geke van Dijk
Timothy de Waal Tracy McNulty Mante Vertelyte
Malefyt Lisa Meekison Michele Visciola
Alicia Dornadic Reichenbach Valerie Will
Brynn Freeman Susan Mercer Anna Wojnarowska
Robert Fuchs Andrea Moed Hoi Kee Wong
Kristine Gentry Cui Yin Mok Matthew Yapchai
David Gilmore Robert Morais
Mike Griffin Preeti Mudliar
Natalie Hanson Fiona Murphy
Todd Harple Dawn Nafus
Jay Hasbrouck Laura Neumann
Ann Hintzman Martin Ortlieb
Hronn Holmer Begonia Pecharroman
Heather Horst Han Pham
Sarita Fae Jarmack Claudio Pinhanez
Kathi Kitner

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

LETTER FROM THE BOARD............................................................................ 1
KEYNOTES ........................................................................................................... 5
PAPERS ............................................................................................................... 31
SESSION 1: BIG DATA/ETHNOGRAPHY OR BIG DATA
ETHNOGRAPHY ........................................................................................... 31
Five misconceptions about Personal Data: Why we need a people-
centred approach to “Big” Data ....................................................................... 32
Abby Margolis
Small packages for Big (qualitative) Data ........................................................ 44
Kim Erwin and Theodore Pollari
Big Data or ‘Big Ethnographic Data’? Positioning Big Data within the
ethnographic space ........................................................................................... 64
John Curran
What we talk about when we talk data: Valences and the social
performance of multiple metrics in digital health ............................................ 76
Brittany Fiore-Silfvast and Gina Neff
From street to satellite: Mixing methods to understand mobile money
users .................................................................................................................. 90
Erin B. Taylor and Heather A. Horst
SESSION 2: FACING COMPLEXITY ......................................................... 105
Move me: On stories, rituals, and building brand communities .................... 106
Kate Sieck
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Designing anthropological reflection within an energy company .................. 118
Louise Løgstrup, Maren Melissa Nelson-Burk, Wafa Said Moshleh and
Wendy Gunn
Mobility is more than a device: Understanding complexity in Health
Care with ethnography .................................................................................... 131
Todd S. Harple, Gina Taha, Nancy Vuckovic and Anna Wojnarowska
Ethnographic findings in the organizational theatre ..................................... 145
Jacob Burr and Rosa Torguet
“Out of the Labs”: The Role for Ethnography in guiding clinical trials ...... 163
Yosha Gargeya and Mads Holme
SESSION 3: MANEUVER YOUR LENSES!................................................ 173
The “Consumption Junction” of ICT in emerging markets:
An
Ethnography of middlemen ........................................................................... 174
Eliza Oreglia and Kathi R. Kitner
“It was like a little community”: An ethnographic study of online
learning and its implications for MOOCs ...................................................... 188
Christina Wasson
The pop-up ethnographer: Roles of the researcher in temporary spaces ...... 202
Deborah Maxwell, Mel Woods and Suzanne Prior
Techno|theory deathmatch: An agonistic experiment in Theory and
Practice ........................................................................................................... 218
Jay Dautcher, Mike Griffin, Tiffany Romain and Eugene Limb
Models in motion: Ethnography moves from complicatedness to
complex systems............................................................................................. 234
ken anderson, Tony Salvador and Brandon Barnett
EPIC 2013 Proceedings, ISBN 978-1-931303-21-7. © 2013 by the American Anthropological Association. Some rights reserved ix
SESSION 4: (CO)CREATION AND (CO)PARTICIPATION .................... 253
What research enables: Ethnography by high-school students catalyzing
transformation of a post-tsunami community ................................................ 254
Fumiko Ichikawa, Hiroshi Tamura and Yoko Akama
Human API as a research source in health care ............................................ 268
Knowl Baek, Kyle Duke, Roy Luo, Monica Lee and Anijo Mathew
Strategic ethnography and reinvigorating Tesco Plc: Leveraging inside/
out bicultural bridging in multicultural teams ............................................... 284
Mary Yoko Brannen, Fiona Moore and Terry Mughan
Ethnography and the “Age Wave”: Knowledge capture for succession
planning .......................................................................................................... 302
Kristie McKenzie Gentry
SESSION 5: THE STATE OF OUR UNION ............................................... 315
Co-opetition as the new path to innovation? Negotiating strategic
change through user-centred design approaches: ......................................... 316
Alice Peinado, Magdalena Jarvin and Corinne Jouanny
Reflections on Positionality: Pros, cons and workarounds from an
intense fieldwork ............................................................................................ 337
Eduardo Gonçalves and Marcelo Fagundes
People and Energy: A design-led approach to understanding everyday
energy use behaviour ...................................................................................... 350
Dan Lockton, Flora Bowden, Cathering Greene, Clare Brass and Rama
Gheerawo
Serendipity and business development – Design anthropological
investigations at The Post .............................................................................. 365
Mette Gislev Kjaersgaard
Understanding mediated practices: Combining ethnographic methods
with blog data to develop insights .................................................................. 377
Jonathan Bean and Zeynep Arsel
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