Fernanda Pires de Sá has travelled to Melbourne to make a short academic visiting at DERC (Digital Ethnography Research Center) with professor Sarah Pink. Both Fernanda and Sarah are part of D-FUTURE research team.

In this context, Fernanda gave the conference: “Research method challenges:Co-viewing practices within unofficial Facebook and WhatsApp groups”.

Abstract of the conference:

Co-viewing refers to the practice of sitting together in front of a TV set, watching and making meaning out of television content. Connected platforms amplify the possibilities for co-viewing, by allowing people to do it in many localities and using different digital resources. This seminar aims to reflect upon the methodological challenges while doing multiple case studies with an ethnographical approach of the co-viewing practices within the specific context of Brazil’s most popular cultural product, the telenovela.

In order to situate the co-viewed show, an overview will be done of the main characteristics of the Brazilian telenovela, well known for prompting political debate and for being part of the social imaginary of the Brazilian population. The main challenges regarding the particularities of researching co-viewing practices on unofficial Facebook and WhatsApp groups will be discussed. Finally, the seminar will conclude with reflections concerning ethical terms while doing qualitative research within groups that produce an almost “big data” flow.