Audiovisual Ethnography Pathway
The Audiovisual Ethnography Pathway is a two-year (4 semesters) module designed for researchers interested in acquiring practical skills in audiovisual production within the context of Visual Anthropology. The pathway offers a diploma of MA in Anthropology using Audiovisual Methods and it operates within the current MA programme in Anthropology at the School of Humanities.
The pathway has a primary focus on the production of audiovisual ethnography. The curriculum contextualises these skills in relation to anthropologically informed discourses and practises of observation, representation, and perception. The coursework covers issues such as the history of visual anthropology, philosophies of representation, and the relationship between art, ethnography and cinema. It is taught and designed in collaboration between the School of Humanities and the MA in Documentary Arts programme of the Baltic Film, Media and Arts School of Tallinn University.
The culmination of the pathway is the completion of an independent project, under the supervision of a tutor, that demonstrates competence in the production or textual analysis of film, photography, material display, and sound recordings.
The different approaches that will be covered in the course-work and research process will be linked together through a commitment to anthropological perspectives, ethics, and methodologies. The particular approaches to audiovisual media of this pathway are consistent with the intellectual traditions and ethical positioning of Social Anthropology and to the practical circumstances under which anthropologists normally work.
NB! Admissions to this pathway takes place in every two years on even years (i.e. 2022, 2024, 2026 etc).
Showcase
2015 - Madara Bunkse - The Craft of Life
2017 - Rajat Nayyar - Kashi Labh
Intended Outcomes of the Pathway
- To familiarise researchers with the main theoretical and methodological issues posed by the use of visual and aural media within anthropology.
- To master the basic techniques of operating a video camera, sound recording equipment and editing software.
- To understand the principles of structuring the produced material into an ethnographically informed narrative.
- To gain experience in conceiving and realizing a fieldwork-based research project using audiovisual methods.
- This pathway prepares researchers for further postgraduate work in anthropology or a related branch of academic life. It also prepares practitioners to further develop these skills in an appropriate sector of the media industries.
This pathway will be of interest to researchers with a specialization in the Human Sciences, who wish to familiarise themselves with the conceptual and technical aspects of using audiovisual media as the main methodology of ethnographic research. It will also create opportunities for audiovisual practitioners to familiarise themselves with discourses and practises associated with Social Anthropology.
Resources
Online Resources in Audiovisual Ethnography
Contact Us!
- Specific questions regarding the programme should be directed to the School of Humanities:
Maris Peters maris.peters@tlu.ee - For additional guidelines regarding admission procedure please contact the international admission specialist.
- Questions regarding student life at Tallinn University:
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