Second Sight: Topics in Visual Anthropology

3 units

Visual anthropology is as old as the camera, and, like North Atlantic anthropology, it shares a long history with colonial exploitation and expansion. This course examines the history of both ethnographic film and photography and considers the ethics of visual anthropology in the 21st century. This survey of ethnographic film and photography aims to familiarize students with the concepts of visual anthropology and to introduce a variety of ethnographic and media studies concepts, theories, methods, and ethical considerations. Drawing from a broad spectrum of materials, we will focus on analyzing film and photography in class, discussing ethics, challenging the boundaries of ethnographic conventions, and inviting filmmakers and photographers into conversation via Skype.