Film as Ethnography

Book Overview

This work examines the reasons why anthropologists have not used the camera as a research instrument or film as a means of communicating ethnographic knowledge. It suggests that images and words in this discipline operate on different logical levels; that they are hierarchically related; that whereas writings may encompass the images produced by film, the inverse of this cannot be true. The author argues for this position further by suggesting that the visual is to the written mode as "thin description" (giving a record of the form of behaviour) is to "thick description" (giving an account of meaning).

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0719036836
• ISBN13: 9780719036835
• Release Date: September 1992
• Publisher: Manchester University Press
• Length: 322 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.1" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

Interesting book with broad range of discussion

This is an edited volume with chapters by a number of different authors. There are a number of good articles in this book which are of use to those interested in the topic. The topics covered in various chapters are (directly quoted from table of contents): Part 1: "Authority, representation and anthropological knowledge" Part 2: "Image, audience and aesthetics" Part 3: "Politics, ethics and indigenous imagery" Part 4: "Television and new technologies" Overall a nice mixture of material, some on general theoretical concerns, some with specific ethnographic examples, and even some more technical discussion.

A New Approach to Old Cultures: The Eye of the Camera

Visual Anthropology is a fast growing discipline within the domain of social sciences. Since the historical seminal book "Principles of Visual Anthropology" edited by Hockings in mid seventies, more and more writings in this area came to light to explain and put to discussion some theories and practices that both anthropologists and filmmakers did in aproaching various ethnic groups arround the world. "Film as Ethnography" is perhaps the best book ever published as a group of collected papers in this area. His editors, P. I. Crawford and D. Turton made available not only to the specialist but also to the general reader interested in non-ficcion film or ethnography, a range of different approaches to the matter from the practical matters to the more theoretical thinking. In short: a must to read and consult. A landmark to remember.