NCRM videos

Rachel Katz: Methodological Challenges of Studying 'Grindr Tourism' in Tel Aviv, Israel

08-11-2018

Rachel Katz presents at methods@manchester Methods Fair 2018. Abstract: The digital world has been a wilderness in regard to ethical methodologies, including studies of the dating app Grindr. Often studies of Grindr recruit through the app itself or use profiles as a source of analysis. Addressing LGBT+ identity within the context of smartphone technologies presents unique challenges around outing, anonymity, and consent, particularly to those in homophobic regions. Grindr’s geolocative features make it a unique tool for tourists to interact with local LGBT+ people and spaces. The project discussed examines how Grindr reconfigures practices of space specifically within tourist-local interactions in Tel Aviv. It employs a multi-method qualitative sociological approach. 20 self-selected tourists and locals in Tel Aviv were interviewed. Prior to the interview, some chose to complete audio diaries recording their daily Grindr practices. Participants were recruited using snowball sampling with multiple entry points: online in public forums, email, and via posters around Tel Aviv. This work addresses the ethical and methodological challenges of studying Grindr, especially in Tel Aviv. What is limited or lost when using “conservative” methods to study dating app technologies? What is gained? The ongoing investigation speaks to Grindr’s potential as a digital fieldwork site with alternative boundaries and regimes, but also alternative possibilities.