Experience of Place, Viikki

The Digs

In China, I had the honor of visiting the home of a married couple living in instant/pop-up Shenzhen to learn about their experiences in the city. In Finland, I have the incredible opportunity to live in the new city, as though I am a resident myself. My extremely helpful host is Paavo the pharmacist. He (we) lives in a new apartment complex in Viikki and shows me around the neighborhood daily. On the northeast corner of Helsinki, we are not very far from Arabia….the bus to the center swings right past.

“When used as a method, ethnography typically refers to fieldwork (alternatively, participant-observation) conducted by a single investigator who ‘lives with and lives like’ those who are studied, usually for a year or more.” –John Van Maanen, 1996.

“Ethnography literally means ‘a portrait of a people.’ An ethnography is a written description of a particular culture – the customs, beliefs, and behavior – based on information collected through fieldwork.” –Marvin Harris and Orna Johnson, 2000.

“Ethnography is the art and science of describing a group or culture. The description may be of a small tribal group in an exotic land or a classroom in middle-class suburbia.” –David M. Fetterman, 1998.