Using multi-sited ethnographic case studies and auto-ethnography to explore bottom-up community empowerment among African communities in Australia

The aim of my PhD study was to understand bottom-up-driven community empowerment in Australia. Having been part of development work that promoted empowerment in Africa, I wanted to understand the role of empowerment processes as a possible response to the failure of welfare policies. Towards this end, I designed multi-sited ethnographic case studies to understand bottom-up-driven community empowerment among African communities in Australia. This methodological case study provides insights to doing multi-sited ethnography and auto-ethnography and highlights some of the associated challenges and nuances. The main methods used in this study were participant observation, ethnographic interviews and document analysis. Noting the challenges associated with doing multi-sited ethnography in one's own community, the case highlights the importance of auto-ethnography in creating rich narrative and the role of reflection and observation reminders in maintaining balance between subjectivity and objectivity. It shows that auto-ethnography enhances the narratives and complements ethnographic data. The case study also provides practical tips to validate documents collected from communities. Finally, the case study demonstrates how different analytical tools can be used in ethnography.