Radio Silence Paradoxes in Audioethnography at Tallevast, FL

Sam Greenspan

Date of Award

2008

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Social Sciences

First Advisor

Baram, Uzi

Keywords

Tallevast, Radio, Race, Environmental Racism, Audioethnography, Ethnography, Ethnographic Silence

Area of Concentration

Anthropology

Abstract

Anthropologists are familiar with visual imagery as a subject and as a mode of representation. This thesis explores the medium of sound as an alternative means of ethnographic representation. I posit that anthropologists may realize similarities between documentary radio and traditional ethnography in order to create a practice of what I refer to as 'audioethnography'. I examine how the politics of listenership allow for an audience to gain access into ethnographic settings that are not attainable through written, visual, or audiovisual media. Furthermore, specific qualities of aural media afford unique opportunities for social justice work for marginalized peoples, especially for those who suffer from image-based discrimination (e.g. racism). The case study is Tallevast, a century-old predominantly African-American community in Manatee County, Florida. Tallevast residents became victims of environmental racism when a beryllium processing facility in Tallevast contaminated their drinking water, which has resulted in illness and death among members of the Tallevast community. Various factors prevented the audio work from being made, and I address the paradox of offering Tallevast the opportunity to give voice to their story, only to find my intentions met with silence.

Rights

This bibliographic record is available under the Creative Commons CC0 public domain dedication. The New College of Florida, as creator of this bibliographic record, has waived all rights to it worldwide under copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights, to the extent allowed by law.

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