A Friction in Shibari refers to creating a point of tension where two ropes intersect. I will endeavour to explore Shibari (Japanese art of rope bondage #ropeart) content creators in instagram for my chosen media niche, which will be framed and analysed through an auto ethnographic lens. By taking on the role of the observer observed, I will tangle with the experience I am dissecting. They’re by dualistically & simultaneously binding and unravelling my assumptions.

“Auto Ethnographers must use personal experience to illustrate facets of cultural experience, and, in doing so, make characteristics of a cultural familiar for insiders and outsiders.” (Ellis et. al 2011)

This auto ethnographicraphically driven study might reveal how practitioners negotiate tensions between tradition and modernity, as Shibari’s historical roots clash with contemporary interpretations in an online arena. Cultural frictions could arise from Shibari’s appropriation outside Japan, raising questions of authenticity and cultural respect and reflexive quandaries will be illuminated through vivid self revelations . Within the practice itself, power dynamics and consent present frictions, as participants navigate the fine line between art and intimacy. Ethnographic exploration could uncover how Shibari’s gender dynamics generate frictions, exposing how societal norms influence the experience. Additionally, frictions between personal freedom and societal judgment might surface, highlighting the contrast between Shibari’s liberating potential and potential for stigmatization. Through in-depth observation of participants and my own engagement, an ethnographic study will capture these complex frictions, shedding light on the multifaceted nature of Shibari beyond its aesthetic allure.

The goal of reflexive ethnography (and autoethnography) according to Davies (1999, 5) is to “seek to develop forms of research that fully acknowl- edge and utilize subjective experience as an intrinsic part of research.” (Anderson 2006, pg 385)

A Niche can be narrow yet deep and the above musings reflect the varied options of exploration avenues; I need to refine the scope of my research and define a question which is one of my challenges. Another is that by employing auto-ethnography, the researcher acknowledges the intrinsic connection between their own background, emotions, and interpretations. This is an interesting lens of the project, in that this project is both a door and mirror (quote I heard from class this week).

Autobiographers can make texts aesthetic and evocative by using techniques of”showing” (ADAMS, 2006; LAMOTT, 1994), which are designed to bring “readers into the scene”—particularly into thoughts, emotions, and actions (ELLIS, 2004,p.142)—in order to “experience an experience.”

Anderson, L 2006, ‘Analytic Autoethnography’, Journal of contemporary ethnography, vol. 35, no. 4, pp. 373–395

Sundén, J. (2023). “Digital kink obscurity: A sexual politics beyond visibility and comprehension.” Sexualities, 0(0). https://doi-org.ezproxy.uow.edu.au/10.1177/13634607221124401 (referenced in pitch video)

Ellis, C., Adams, T. E. and Bochner, A. P. (2010) “Autoethnography: An Overview”, Forum Qualitative Sozialforschung / Forum: Qualitative Social Research, 12(1). doi: 10.17169/fqs-12.1.1589.