Tom Simmert: #TiktokAfrica as an Ethnographic field

Abstract

Using the example of my research on Afrobeats, this talk aimed to explore the possibilities of TikTok as a digital field site for ethnographic research in a (post-) pandemic context. It addressed the opportunities and challenges that arise for field participants and researchers alike, based on the affordances of the platform and its constant and dynamic development, which is as observable as it is opaque to its users.

About the Speaker

Tom Simmert is a doctoral candidate at Mainz University and a research fellow at CEDITRAA. His research interests include popular music, popular culture and celebrity in Nigeria.