The Future of Visual Anthropology: Engaging the Senses

183 Pages·2006·1.72 MB·English

by  Sarah Pink

The Future of
Visual Anthropology
Theexplosionofvisualmediainrecentyearshasgeneratedawiderangeofvisual
anddigitaltechnologieswhichhavetransformedvisualresearchandanalysis.The
resultisanexcitingnewinterdisciplinaryapproachofgreatpotentialinfluencein
and out of academia.
Sarah Pink argues that this potential can be harnessed by engaging visual
anthropology with its wider contexts, including:
· the increasing use of visual research methods across the social sciences and
humanities
· thegrowthinpopularityofthevisualasmethodologyandobjectofanalysis
within mainstream anthropology and applied anthropology
· thegrowinginterestin‘anthropologyofthesenses’andmediaanthropology
· thedevelopmentofnewvisualtechnologiesthatallowanthropologiststowork
in new ways.
TheFutureofVisualAnthropologyoffersagroundbreakingexaminationofdevel-
opments within the field to define how it might advance empirically, methodo-
logically and theoretically, and cement a central place in academic study both
withinanthropologyandacrossdisciplines.Thisbookwillbeessentialreadingfor
students, researchers and practitioners of visual anthropology, media anthro-
pology, visual cultural studies, media studies and sociology.
Sarah Pink lectures in the Department of Social Sciences at Loughborough
University.Herworkfocusesongender,thesenses,media,thehome,andvisual
methodologies in research and representation. Her books include Doing Visual
Ethnography(2001),Women and Bullfighting (1997)andHome Truths(2004).

The Future of
Visual Anthropology
Engaging the senses
Sarah Pink
First published 2006
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon,
Oxon OX14 4RN
Simultaneously published
in the USA and Canada
by Routledge
270 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10016
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group
© 2006 Sarah Pink
This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2006.
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Every effort has been made to ensure that the advice and information in
this book is true and accurate at the time of going to press. However,
neither the publisher nor the authors can accept any legal responsibility
or liability for any errors or omissions that may be made. In the case of
drug administration, any medical procedure or the use of technical
equipment mentioned within this book, you are strongly advised to
consult the manufacturer’s guidelines.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Pink, Sarah
The future of visual anthropology : engaging the senses / Sarah Pink
p. cm.
1. Visual anthropology. I. Title.
GN347.P57 2006
301–dc22 2005019287
ISBN10: 0-415-35764-0 (hbk)
ISBN10: 0-415-35765-9 (pbk)
ISBN13: 9-78-0-415-35764-7 (hbk)
ISBN13: 9-78-0-415-35765-4-(pbk)
Contents
CCoonntteennttss
List of figures vii
Acknowledgements ix
Preface xi
PART 1
Situating visual anthropology 1
1 Engaging the visual: an introduction 3
2 Interdisciplinary agendas: (re)situating visual anthropology 21
PART II
Visual anthropology and the mainstream 39
3 New sensations?: visual anthropology and the senses 41
4 Visual anthropology and anthropological writing:
the case of the sensory home 59
PART III
Engaging with the real world 79
5 Visual engagement as social intervention: applied visual
anthropology 81
PART IV
Visual anthropology and digital technologies 103
6 Visual anthropology and hypermedia: towards conversing
anthropologically 105
vi Contents
PART V
Conclusion 129
7 A visual anthropology for the twenty-first century 131
Notes 145
References 151
Index 163
Figures
Figures
2.1 Still image fromNanook of the North 23
2.2 A strip for Plate 91: Exhumation II from Bateson
and Mead’sBalinese Character: A Photographic Analysis 27
4.1 Women’s Worlds:project map 73
4.2 Women’s Worlds: a case study page 76
4.3 Women’s Worlds: the same page with Virginia’s words
and video showing 76
4.4 Women’s Worlds: the same page with my commentary 77
5.1 A photograph from John Collier’s Vicos project 84
5.2 Four frames from John Collier’s super-8 research film footage
of a Head Start program in Kwethluk, Alaska, winter 1969 85
5.3 Still from theMujeres Invisiblesinterview with Amalia 98
5.4 Still from theMujeres Invisiblesinterview with Carmen 98
6.1 Jay Ruby’sThe Taylor Family: introductory page 111
6.2 Jay Ruby’sThe Taylor Family: the ‘Integration in Oak Park’
page contains details of campaigns, changing policy and
Ruby’s commentary 112
6.3 Screen captures from a CD-ROM based on an interview
with Malcolm, one of the ‘Cleaning, Homes and
Lifestyles’ informants 116–7
6.4 Tracey Lovejoy and Nelle Steele’s Photo Story project:
the software interface as the anthropologists saw it when
they constructed their pages 118
6.5 Tracey Lovejoy and Nelle Steele’s Photo Story project:
the web pages as their colleagues saw them when they
logged on to engage with the project 119
6.6 Rod Coover’sCultures in Webs: the third page of the
narrative 122
viii Figures
6.7 Rod Coover’sCultures in Webs: an interview with a
chief combined with written text and a background
performance still 123
6.8 Rod Coover’sCultures in Webs: other pages combine
words and images with video clips of performances 124
6.9 Rod Coover’sCultures in Webs: on the next page the music
continues over still images 124
6.10 A video page from theSexualExpression in Institutional
Care Settings for Older PeopleCD-ROM 126
Acknowledgements
ThisbookcoversaseriesofdifferentresearchprojectsIhavebeeninvolvedinand
reviewstheworkofmanyotheracademicandappliedresearchers.TodevelopitI
havereliedonthegoodwill,commentariesandcollaborationofmanypeople.For
permission to reproduce images from their own work or archives thanks to:
MalcolmCollierandtheCollierFamilyCollectionforsupplyingimagesfromJohn
CollierJnr’sfieldworkinAlaskaandPeru;theNewYorkAcademyoftheSciences
fortheuseofimagesfromtheworkofGregoryBatesonandMargaretMead;and
International Film Seminars, New York for supplying the image from Flaherty’s
NanookoftheNorth.Forallowingmetousescreencapturesoftheirwork,orfrom
projects owned by them, thanks to: Susan Tester and her research team; Rod
Coover; Jay Ruby; Nelle Steele and Tracey Lovejoy at Microsoft; and Unilever
Research.
MyresearchaboutthesensoryhomewasfundedbyUnileverResearch.Iespe-
ciallythankKatieDeverell,JeanRimmer,PaulMooresandSueStanleyfortheir
supportandcollaborationintheseprojects.MyresearchabouttheSpanishbull-
fight was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council.
Particular thanks to: Malcolm Collier, Dick Chalfen, Peter Biella and Alison
Jablonko,whosuppliedmewithimportantadviceaboutcontemporaryandhistor-
icalusesofappliedvisualanthropologyandthehistoryofvisualanthropology;Ana
MartinezPerez,whosevisualanthropologicalworkinSpainhasbeenanimportant
sourceofinspiration;JohnPostill,whosecommentsonthetextasithasdeveloped
have been invaluable; and Routledge’s anonymous reader.
Responsibilityfortheargumentandanyerrorsinthisbookis,however,myown.