Date of Award

2012

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Social Sciences

First Advisor

Vesperi, Maria D.

Keywords

Ethnographic Film, Visual Anthropology, Film Festivals

Area of Concentration

Anthropology

Abstract

Visual anthropology has been in practice for over a hundred years, but has been seriously considered as a subdiscipline only in the past few decades. In this thesis, I examine the changing academic and social contexts of ethnographic filmmaking through several strands of inquiry, based on my experience attending the Royal Anthropological Institute's 12th International Festival of Ethnographic Film in London, 2011, and the Society for Visual Anthropology's Visual Research Conference at the 2011 American Anthropological Association meetings in Montreal. I explore notions of ethics for visual anthropology in the "digital age" and the broader discussion surrounding a codified ethics statement for the use of images in ethnographic research. I review the history of visual anthropology through the lens of ethnographic authority, demonstrating how changing ideas of the uses of images influenced various movements in ethnographic and documentary film during the 20th century. Taking up the question of ethnographic film and its contribution to anthropological knowledge, I then explore more recent theoretical concerns including the embodied, sensory, and experiential dimensions of film. Finally, reflecting on the RAI Festival of Ethnographic Film in addition to indigenous media networks, I look at the larger narratives and political discourses emerging from visual anthropology situated globally.

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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