"Visual anthropology is concerned, in part, with the study and production of ethnographic photography, film and, since the mid-1990s, new media."
Visual anthropology uses film, photography, and other visual media to study human societies and cultures.
Ethnography: The study and documentation of a particular culture or society through fieldwork and participant observation.
Anthropological Theory: The various theoretical perspectives and frameworks utilized by anthropologists to understand differences, similarities, and shared human experiences.
Visual Anthropology History: The evolution of the visual mediums used in anthropology (photography, film, video, digital) and their applications in the field.
Representation and Power: The influence of media and visual representation on representation, discourse, and power dynamics within societies.
Journalistic Anthropology: Combining ethnographic research with media production, to create in-depth reporting on social issues and cultural phenomena.
Media Anthropology: Analyzing the ways that media technology is used, created, and interacts between cultures.
Visual and Digital Methods: Photovoice, participatory video, digital media, and other practices that facilitate collaborative, participatory research with local communities.
Empathy and Storytelling: Producing personal narratives and other stories that promote understanding and bridge the understanding gap between different cultures and communities.
Performance, Ritual, and Spectacle: The different ways in which communities express and perform cultural traditions as a form of resistance or adaptation.
Applied Anthropology: Using anthropological methods in practical settings to address issues and challenges faced by communities, governments, and organizations.
Ethnographic film: This is the oldest and most established type of visual anthropology, and involves the production of documentary-style films that depict the lives and cultures of people from different parts of the world. Ethnographic filmmakers often live among the people they are studying, and use their films to convey their experiences and insights to a wider audience.
Participatory video: In this type of visual anthropology, community members are trained to use video technology to document their own cultures and experiences. This approach puts the power of representation in the hands of the people being studied, and can help to create more empowering and collaborative relationships between researchers and the communities they work with.
Visual ethnography: This involves the use of visual media (such as photography and video) as a tool for engaging with and understanding the cultural practices of different communities. Visual ethnographers often work collaboratively with their subjects to produce visual materials that are both informative and respectful of local cultures.
Ethnographic photography: This is a type of visual anthropology that relies on the use of still photographs to document and interpret different aspects of human culture. Ethnographic photographers often focus on capturing small details and moments within a larger cultural context, in order to offer insight into the complexities of cultural practices and beliefs.
Sensory ethnography: This type of visual anthropology explores the sensory experiences of different communities, and how these experiences shape their cultural practices and beliefs. Sensory ethnographers use visual and audio media to document the sounds, smells, textures, and other sensory aspects of different cultural environments.
"Visual anthropology encompasses much more, including the anthropological study of all visual representations such as dance and other kinds of performance, museums and archiving, all visual arts, and the production and reception of mass media."
"Research topics include sandpaintings, tattoos, sculptures and reliefs, cave paintings, scrimshaw, jewelry, hieroglyphics, paintings and photographs."
"Also within the province of the subfield are studies of human vision, properties of media, the relationship of visual form and function, and applied, collaborative uses of visual representations."
"Multimodal anthropology describes the latest turn in the subfield, which considers how emerging technologies like immersive virtual reality, augmented reality, mobile apps, social networking, gaming along with film, photography and art is reshaping anthropological research, practice and teaching."
"More recently it has been used by historians of science and visual culture."
"Although sometimes wrongly conflated with ethnographic film, visual anthropology encompasses much more..."
"Histories and analyses of representations from many cultures are part of visual anthropology..."
"Studies of human vision" are within the province of visual anthropology.
"Visual anthropology encompasses...the anthropological study of all visual representations such as dance and other kinds of performance..."
"Research topics include...paintings and photographs."
"Also within the province of the subfield are...the production and reception of mass media."
"Applied, collaborative uses of visual representations" are within the province of the subfield.
"Emerging technologies...are reshaping anthropological research..."
"...emerging technologies like immersive virtual reality, augmented reality, mobile apps, social networking, gaming along with film, photography and art..."
"More recently it has been used by historians of science and visual culture."
"The relationship of visual form and function" is studied within the subfield.
"...since the mid-1990s, new media" has been included in visual anthropology.
"Visual anthropology encompasses...museums and archiving."
"Studies of...properties of media" fall under the province of visual anthropology.