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Doing sonic urban ethnography: Voices from Shanghai, Berlin and London

Author

Listed:
  • Ana Aceska
  • Karolina Doughty

    (Wageningen University and Research, The Netherlands)

  • Muhammet Esat Tiryaki

    (Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Germany)

  • Katherine Robinson

    (Goldsmiths, University of London, UK)

  • Eva Tisnikar

    (University College London, UK)

  • Fang Xu

    (University of California Berkeley, USA)

Abstract

Matters of sound and listening are increasingly being attended to across the social sciences and humanities, reflecting what has been termed a ‘sonic turn’ since the early 2000s. In urban ethnographic research, scholars are starting to pay attention to the role of sound in social relations, in expressions of identity and senses of belonging, as well as in processes of othering. In this paper, we explore the theoretical and methodological opportunities of sonic urban ethnography, that is, an urban ethnography that foregrounds sound and listening in theoretical and methodological ways. We argue that the promise of sonic urban ethnography lies in its ability to interrupt the predominant focus on text and the visual by developing expanded practices of listening for alternative ways of knowing and engaging with the urban. We share four empirical vignettes from Shanghai, Berlin and London that illustrate, in their different ways, the power exercised through sound in the urban environment. Our discussion of the empirical cases highlights three key ‘lessons’ for doing sonic urban ethnography.

Suggested Citation

  • Ana Aceska & Karolina Doughty & Muhammet Esat Tiryaki & Katherine Robinson & Eva Tisnikar & Fang Xu, 2024. "Doing sonic urban ethnography: Voices from Shanghai, Berlin and London," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 61(10), pages 1951-1967, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:urbstu:v:61:y:2024:i:10:p:1951-1967
    DOI: 10.1177/00420980231223866
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Janine R. Wedel & Cris Shore & Gregory Feldman & Stacy Lathrop, 2005. "Toward an Anthropology of Public Policy," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 600(1), pages 30-51, July.
    2. Alasdair Jones, 2021. "Public realm ethnography: (Non-)Participation, co-presence and the challenge of situated multiplicity," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 58(2), pages 425-440, February.
    3. Ana Aceska, 2023. "Vertical Geographies, Polyvocality And The Everyday In A Divided City," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 47(5), pages 710-724, September.
    4. Gordon Waitt & Ian Buchanan & Michelle Duffy, 2020. "Lively cities made in sound: A study of the sonic sensibilities of listening and hearing in Wollongong, New South Wales," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 57(10), pages 2131-2146, August.
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