Livestreaming “being there”: A reflective study of remote ethnographic observation under campus lockdown

When lockdowns or travel restrictions render in-person fieldwork impossible, how can ethnographers remain “in the field”? My answer is: livestreamed ethnography. This research provides a methodological reflection on conducting ethnographic observation through livestreaming during a university campus lockdown in China, reflecting on what presence means when physical access is denied. The reflection demonstrates how livestreaming enables virtual presence, real-time participation, and the reconfiguration of researcher-participant relationships. This method can not only enhance the integrity and traceability of observation records (through time-stamped audio-visual traces) but also enable real-time participation when physical access is restricted. By democratizing observation and diminishing power hierarchies between the observer and the observed, livestreaming redefines ethnographic relations within mediated spaces. Despite challenges such as reduced sensory immersion and privacy concerns, this study highlights the human ability to adapt, connect, and co-create meaning under constrained conditions.