Introduction (Lecture 1)

Question 1

What are the 3 key developments in 21st century Anthropological Research?

Answer 1

1. Increased accessibility of media production by researchers
2. Greater emphasis on collaboration between researchers and researched populations
3. Transformation of professional responsibilities of researchers towards researched populations

Question 2

Where does the multimodal approach to anthropology/ethnography intervene?

Answer 2

• In data production / collection
• In research dissemination (e.g. films, festivals, photos, website)

Question 3

What are the implications of a multimodal approach to anthropological research?

Answer 3

1. Expanding ethnographic forms
2. Expanded sensorium in specific research contexts
3. Reflexively recognising the indeterminant additive qualities of mediation (object-oriented)

Question 4

What does multimodality challenge?

Answer 4

Immediacy
- offers more radical epistemological project, better conceptualised
- shifting kaleidoscopic perspectives

Question 5

What are the 3 activities of ethnographers according to Christina Nippert-Eng?

Answer 5

• Observation
• Conversation
• Participation

Question 6

What are the frameworks of visual anthropology?

Answer 6

1. Methodological
2. Epistemological
3. Conceptual

Question 7

What do the methodological frameworks of visual anthropology consist of?

Answer 7

Distinctive expressive structures of visual media

Question 8

What do the epistemological frameworks of visual anthropology consist of?

Answer 8

Perceptual / affective forms of knowledge

Question 9

What do the conceptual frameworks of visual anthropology consist of?

Answer 9

Topographical, temporal, corporeal, personal aspects of human experience

Question 10

On which theory does Cristina Grasseni draws upon to develop a “skilled visions” approach?

Answer 10

Charles Goodwin’s notion of “Professional Vision” (1994)

Question 11

What does the ‘vision’ consist of in Cristina Grasseni’s “skilled visions” approach?

Answer 11

• Social activity, proactive engagement with the world
• Expertise that depends heavily on trained perception and a structured environment

Question 12

What are the two approaches to systems of representation?

Answer 12

• Mimetic: representations reflect the world
  vs.
• Constructivist: representations construct the world

Question 13

What is a representation?

Answer 13

The use (primarily in Western contexts) of language/images to creating meaning

e.g. Magritte’s “The Treachery of images”
- “Ceci n’est pas une pipe” - it’s a representation of the object

Question 14

What are semiotics?

Answer 14

Study of signs
- signifier vs signified

Question 15

What are the 3 types of signs?

Answer 15

1. Iconic
2. Symbolic
3. Indexical

Question 16

What are iconic signs?

Answer 16

They resemble the signified (meaning)

Question 17

What are symbolic signs?

Answer 17

Arbitrary connections to signified (meaning)

Question 18

What are indexical signs?

Answer 18

Existential relationships to signified
- “trace of the real”

Question 19

What are the components of the visual culture according to Gillian Rose (2001)?

Answer 19

• Visual effects
• Social differences
• Ways of seeing
• Social contexts
• Spectator’s own visualities

Question 20

What characterises the concept of Realism?

Answer 20

• It has changed through history
• Cross-cultural differences

Question 21

What is the concept of perspective?

Answer 21

Drawing viewer’s eye towards a central point
-> sense of depth that foregrounds figures

Question 22

How did perceptual art claim a more objective depiction?

Answer 22

By prioritising a universal spectator
- making vision stable and unchanged

Question 23

What does perceptual art reflect?

Answer 23

Fusion of art and science during the Renaissance

Question 24

What is the concept of Visualism?

Answer 24

Seeing = knowing

Question 25

How did photography interact with positivism?

Answer 25

19th century ideas of empirical truths through visual evidence

• machines more reliable than humans
• photography for scientific discovery
  (e.g. Eadward Muybridge’s motion studies,
  Regnault’s anthropometric studies)

Question 26

What is the myth of “photographic truth” according to Sturken & Cartwright?

Answer 26

“A photograph is often perceived as an unmediated copy of the real world.”

Question 27

How is the Rodney King trial (1992) related to the myth of “photographic truth”?

Answer 27

Opposing sides of the case used the same television footage to make contrasting claims