This May Term seminar lies at the intersection of two intellectual disciplines: Anthropology and Media & Visual Culture Studies. It explores the use of visual media in ethnography. The course includes in-class analysis of ethnographic photography and film, ethnographic field trips to local sites, digital lab work, and the completion of an ethnographic project using still photography. Course topics include:
- Cultural differences in visual perception, especially variability in culturally standard ways of seeing
- Photography as an ethnographic research tool
- Photography as a means of ethnographic presentation, especially the shifting standards of what counts as ‘ethnography’ and the differences between ethnographic photography and photography used for other ends.
- Practical experience documenting and presenting cultural scenes.
Prerequisites:
- SOAN 102 (Intro to Cultural Anthropology) OR
- MVCS 101 (Intro to Media & Visual Culture Studies) OR
- instructor permission