Remote Ethnography: Epistemological and ethical issues related to researching Xinjiang since the 'People's War on Terror'

Public lecture by Dr Rune Steenberg, Palacky University Olomuc.

In 2014 China launched its People's War on Terror in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) which turned the region into one of the most surveilled and policed areas of the world. During the years that followed, access to the region was severely limited. Limited access is presented and continues to present researchers with severe challenges. How do we find trustworthy information on the region and how do we write about it without endangering the people we work with? Both the lack of access to direct data gathering and fading context knowledge make analysis extra difficult. The authoritarian environment in the region and the loaded geopolitics around it add to the risk for all involved. In an attempt to face these challenges, our team has developed an approach we call Remote Ethnography which is based on the four pillars of a holistic view, triangulation, source criticism and immersion. In this talk, I will introduce this methodological approach as well as provide some insights into the ongoing research on XUAR and the profound changes Uyghur society in the region has faced since the People's War on Terror. 

The lecture is part of the PhD School in the Humanities’ course Fields in Conflict: Qualitative Research Across Borders and organized by Dr Rasmus Elling in collaboration with China Studies (ToRS).

The event is open to all, no registration is required.