Visual Anthropology – (M.Sc.)

Contents

The M.Sc. in Visual Anthropology has two core focuses: the historical and contemporary use of visual media by anthropologists and others, and the creation and use of visual systems within societies themselves.

The degree provides anthropological perspectives on the history and development of anthropological photography, ethnographic film and visual display in the museum, with a particular focus on the colonial archive and colonial documentary practices.

Also covered are:

* Issues of film and photographs as material culture.
* Social uses and local practices of visual media use, including indigenous media.
* Professional visual media production.
* Visual media and contemporary arts practices.
* Image ethics.
* Digital media practice.
* Audience response and reception theory.

Finally, research training in social anthropological methods, with a particular emphasis on visual methodologies, forms an important component of the degree. During the course of the year, students are encouraged to pursue detailed studies of particular visual systems and visual artefacts within their broader ethnographic context.

Although some practical exercises form part of the teaching for the degree, the emphasis is on the anthropological study of visual systems rather than on production.

The main teaching for the degree is provided by Marcus Banks and Inge Daniels , with important additional contributions from Clare Harris, Laura Peers, and other members of ISCA.

Teaching is provided through tutorials, lectures, and seminars; each student has a supervisor for the year who will guide their studies, but students also have access to all ISCA teaching staff for consultation on particular projects.

The core of the degree is a weekly seminar, with some sessions focused on directed reading and discussion, some devoted to workshops and practical activities, and some acting as a forum for invited speakers.

Lectures, seminars and tutorials are provided for the four examined papers:

* Visual Anthropology: History and Analysis
* Contemporary Themes in Visual Anthropology
* Research Methods in Visual Anthropology
* Option paper

The option paper is chosen from a wide variety on offer which change from year to year, but normally include the ethnographic study of a region such as NE Africa, Southeast Asia, South Asia, China, or Japan, or topics such as the material culture of the Pacific, the ethnography of museums, transnational communities, or medical anthropology.

Throughout the teaching terms there are weekly film screenings, and visits are arranged to relevant museum exhibitions and photographic displays.

The degree is examined through a combination of assessed essays and written exams taken in June; over the summer students write a 10,000 word dissertation, accompanied by photographs, video clips or multimedia files if approved, for final examination in September.