ANTHRO 212 : Ethnographic Film and Photography
Arts
2022 Semester One (1223) (15 POINTS)
Course Prescription
Course Overview
In this course we will explore the uses of photography and film in the production and dissemination of anthropological knowledge. Anthropologists have been using photography and film for more than a century both to create more-or-less permanent records of people, objects, and events, and to communicate anthropological ideas to professional audiences and the general public. Part of the power of photography and film lies in their apparent realism, in their seemingly close relationship to reality. But the relationships between the material world and images on film have been the subject of debates in philosophy, art theory, and the social sciences, and these debates will inform our examination of the use of photography and film as research techniques and forms of communication.
In looking at photographs and films, it is critical to recognise that choices are made at all stages in the production of such images. These choices constitute a process of representation, and representation in this sense of the word will be a key concept in this course even as it has become a critical concern in anthropology as a whole during the last forty years. The choices that visual anthropologists make in their selection of subject matter, imagined audience, composition, construction of a narrative (or not), and mode of representation are acts of authorship. A goal of this course will be to increase your awareness of the authorship of anthropological images, i.e. to increase your awareness of the intentions, choices, and perspectives of photographers and film makers which contribute to the creation of ethnographic images.
Representation is critical in both visual and textual anthropology, and an important aim of this course will be to use the exploration of visual anthropology to reflect back onto representation in anthropology more generally. Anthropologists have been particularly concerned with the politics of representation, i.e. with the realisation that what is represented and how it is represented are political acts connected to questions of ethnographic authority and relations of power between the ethnographer and his or her subjects as well as between the ethnographer and her or his audience.
Course Requirements
Capabilities Developed in this Course
| Capability 1: | Disciplinary Knowledge and Practice |
| Capability 2: | Critical Thinking |
| Capability 3: | Solution Seeking |
| Capability 4: | Communication and Engagement |
| Capability 5: | Independence and Integrity |
| Capability 6: | Social and Environmental Responsibilities |
Learning Outcomes
- Understand and explain the use of photography and film in the production and dissemination of anthropological knowledge. (Capability 1.1, 2.1, 3.1 and 4.1)
- Identify and explain modes of representation in ethnographic film making. (Capability 1.1, 2.1, 2.3, 3.1 and 4.1)
- Understand and explain the choices involved in making anthropological photographs and films. (Capability 1.1, 2.1, 2.3, 3.1 and 4.1)
- Understand and explain the political dimensions of ethnographic representation. (Capability 1.1, 2.1, 2.3, 3.1, 4.1, 6.1 and 6.3)
- Understand and explain the relevance of visual anthropology to broader contemporary theoretical debates in anthropology and social sciences more generally. (Capability 1.1, 1.3, 2.1, 2.3, 3.1, 4.1 and 5.2)
Assessments
| Assessment Type | Percentage | Classification |
|---|---|---|
| Short Essay | 20% | Individual Coursework |
| Library Quiz | 5% | Individual Coursework |
| Annotated Bibliography | 10% | Individual Coursework |
| Research Essay | 40% | Individual Coursework |
| Test | 25% | Individual Coursework |
| 5 types | 100% |
Workload Expectations
This course is a standard 15 point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week involved in each 15 point course that they are enrolled in.
For this course, you can expect 3 hours of lecture per week, 1 hour of tutorial per week, 3 hours of reading and thinking about the course content per week, and 3 hours of work on assignments and/or test preparation per week.
Delivery Mode
Campus Experience
Attendance is required at scheduled activities including lectures and tutorials to complete components of the course.
Lectures will be available as recordings but may include films or images that will not be available in the recordings. Other learning activities including tutorials will not be available as recordings.
The course will not include live online events including group discussions or tutorials.
Attendance on campus is not required for the test.
The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable.
This course is not available for delivery to students studying remotely outside NZ in 2022.
Learning Resources
Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).
Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.
Student Feedback
At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.
Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.
Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.
Academic Integrity
The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against online source material using computerised detection mechanisms.
Class Representatives
Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.
Inclusive Learning
All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.
Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website http://disability.auckland.ac.nz
Well-being always comes first
We all go through tough times during the semester, or see our friends struggling. There is lots of help out there - for more information, look at this Canvas page https://canvas.auckland.ac.nz/courses/33894, which has links to various support services in the University and the wider community.
Special Circumstances
If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.
If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.
This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.
Learning Continuity
In the event of an unexpected disruption, we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and course assessment continues to meet the principles of the University’s assessment policy. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator/director, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the university website for information about how to proceed.
Student Charter and Responsibilities
The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html.
Disclaimer
Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.
In this course students may be asked to submit coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. In exceptional circumstances changes to elements of this course may be necessary at short notice. Students enrolled in this course will be informed of any such changes and the reasons for them, as soon as possible, through Canvas.