Sophia Rosenberg

Abstract: Despite its long-standing history as a beacon of casual and competitive entertainment, the social sciences and humanities have ignored foosball as a research subject. Most current scholarship utilizing foosball comes from the disciplines of computer science and robotics, in which foosball is utilized as a tool to train automated robots how to play foosball. Through a combined autoethnographic and ethnographic approach, this thesis explores how foosball players at a local bar form a community of practice and use the sport to construct a unique sacred place characterized by location, shared identity, and practice. The study’s findings illuminate the hidden complexity of niche activities and sports and their ability to generate profound identities and social connections through independently developed social structures and opportunities for engagement. In highlighting the long-overlooked potential of foosball as an object of cultural study and analysis, this study provides one of the first attempts to thoroughly investigate and analyze foosball from a cultural perspective, and in doing so, creates a baseline for future foosball scholarship.

• Conducted ethnographic research on the community practices and identity of a local foosball group through participant observation, semi-structured interviews, and photography
• Analyzed participation trends using Microsoft Excel to quantify frequency, intensity, and patterns of engagement within the foosball community
• Transcribed 14 interviews and over 120 pages of field notes to create a detailed and searchable record of qualitative and quantitative field data
• Archived key physical materials—including magazines and brochures—to preserve local foosball history and enhance accessibility for future research
• Synthesized findings into a 139-page honors thesis, fulfilling Disciplinary Honors requirements at UNC Greensboro and contributing original insights to cultural and community studies

Independent Study during the Fall 2022 semester.

Independent Study during the Spring 2023 semester.

A documentation of the current student culture at UNCG, done through an examination of student-made content posted on social media accounts that are unaffiliated with the university. Content was preserved in the University Library Digital Archives, and seeks to showcase student culture through an online replication of scrapbooks made by past students.

• Analyzed student-produced social media accounts and content to document UNCG student body culture
• Collaborated with university faculty to develop a detailed project timeline, defining workload expectations and key research milestones
• Categorized archival materials, interview transcripts, and historical documents using Google Docs to streamline data organization and analysis
• Set and tracked monthly goals using Google Calendar and a personal planner to ensure timely project completion
• Transcribed over 80 pages of Zoom interviews with UNC Greensboro students and faculty to capture diverse perspectives for qualitative analysis
• Designed and produced a 60-page digital magazine in Adobe InDesign, synthesizing theoretical research, interview data, and key findings to communicate the project’s significance

Ethnography has long been recognized as an effective method to document cultures and the people within them. How can ethnography refigure itself for digital media and the online spaces that surround them, and the newfound cultures that are emerging as a result? Through a grounded, open-ended approach to ethnographic analysis and digital anthropological methods, this project explores using xeno-virtual ethnography as a way to record online cultures and their digital practices through the observation of two servers in the survival sandbox game Valheim. Xeno-virtual ethnographic methods combine (1) virtual ethnography, which takes place online and records digital cultural practices, and (2) xenoethnography, where a main researcher invites a secondary researcher to conduct an ethnography of their group. Besides a better understanding of these gaming cultures, my project rethinks the method of ethnography in relation to social power. The typical method of ethnographic research, as founded in European colonialism, followed the trope of an ethnographer from a dominant group documenting marginalized people that were often seen as inferior. However, due to a much-needed retrospective on the controversial origins of ethnography and the rise of new technologies, the method is taking on a new form.

• Collaborated with faculty mentor to develop detailed research objectives and outlines, ensuring alignment with project goals and completion within the designated funding period
• Collected and analyzed qualitative and quantitative data through participant observation, virtual interviews, and online surveys, refining insights throughout the study
• Applied grounded theory methodology to code data, identify emerging themes, and construct substantive, data-driven theories
• Designed and delivered visually engaging conference presentations using Adobe Premiere Pro and Microsoft PowerPoint to effectively communicate findings and field observations