Perspectives in Visual Anthropology
Visual anthropology is the study of the production and reception of visual media, how ‘the visual’ is differentiated from other forms of expression, and how visual media are used in anthropological research. This course focuses on the interrelationships between visual representation, patterns of social inequality, and cultural context.
We begin with a discussion of the “lively and unruly” history of visual anthropology, as Faye Ginsburg described it in 1998. We then engage with anthropological discussions of the politics and poetics of representation, and conceptions of reality and authenticity from the past and present of the discipline. We will also consider the significance of the visual in colonialism, neocolonialism, contemporary popular culture, social media, surveillance, identity, and social control.
Learning Goals
Students who successfully complete this course will:
- Refine and enrich their perspectives on power, politics, and representation in visual media and anthropology;
- Become more conscientious and informed consumers of visual media; and
- Present research findings in a variety of formats, and with the depth and confidence required for postgraduate studies and professional contexts.
