The podcast episodes showcase the use of ethnographic research methods across various fields, from urban sustainability studies to environmental anthropology and cultural studies.

Several episodes highlight how immersive, long-term fieldwork and engagement with communities can provide nuanced insights into complex social, cultural, and environmental dynamics. For example, Manisha Anantharaman's study of waste management in Bangalore and Daniel Ruiz Serna's exploration of 'ecological violence' in Colombia's Choco region demonstrate the value of ethnography in understanding the intersections of class, environment, and power.

Other episodes, such as the analysis of gossip in a New York bakery community and Vincanne Adams' tracing of the agrochemical glyphosate, illustrate how ethnographic approaches can shed light on various social, cultural, and scientific phenomena.