Introducing Basic Concepts in Anthropology using “Observations through Photovoice”
Department
Anne E. Pfister, Dept. of Sociology, Anthropology and Social Work
Julia Rivera-Whalen, International Studies and Anthropology Major
Event Website
http://unfdhi.org/portfolio/observations-through-photovoice/
Start Date
2-11-2016 10:00 AM
End Date
2-11-2016 4:00 PM
Description
This poster will describe how “Observations through Photovoice”, a participatory, semester-long project adapts photovoice, a participatory, ethnographic research method, to engage students in a large survey-style Introduction to Anthropology course. This semester-long project, piloted in 2015, invites UNF undergraduate students to demonstrate their understanding of central themes in anthropology (socialization, gender, “race”, for example) by taking digital photographs that capture these cultural phenomena in their social worlds. Throughout the semester, students use Flickr, an online, social photography service, to classify and contextualize their images, survey their fellow classmates’ photos, and add to their collections as they learn new anthropological concepts. Photovoice invites students to respond to exploratory themes in anthropology by taking digital photographs of their surroundings. Using photovoice methodology, students demonstrate their understanding of basic, and increasingly-complex, anthropological concepts while simultaneously experimenting with contemporary qualitative research methods. The dynamic nature of “Observations through Photovoice” engages learners from diverse modalities (visual, linguistic, kinesthetic, analytical, and global learners) and offers authentic learning opportunities beyond the walls of the lecture hall. Photovoice as a pedagogical strategy was adapted from Pfister’s year-long ethnographic fieldwork with deaf youth participants and their families in Mexico City, Mexico. Student images will be featured in this poster presentation and Ms. Rivera-Whalen, a student in Pfister’s Introduction to Anthropology class, will describe her experience with this project.
Introducing Basic Concepts in Anthropology using “Observations through Photovoice”
This poster will describe how “Observations through Photovoice”, a participatory, semester-long project adapts photovoice, a participatory, ethnographic research method, to engage students in a large survey-style Introduction to Anthropology course. This semester-long project, piloted in 2015, invites UNF undergraduate students to demonstrate their understanding of central themes in anthropology (socialization, gender, “race”, for example) by taking digital photographs that capture these cultural phenomena in their social worlds. Throughout the semester, students use Flickr, an online, social photography service, to classify and contextualize their images, survey their fellow classmates’ photos, and add to their collections as they learn new anthropological concepts. Photovoice invites students to respond to exploratory themes in anthropology by taking digital photographs of their surroundings. Using photovoice methodology, students demonstrate their understanding of basic, and increasingly-complex, anthropological concepts while simultaneously experimenting with contemporary qualitative research methods. The dynamic nature of “Observations through Photovoice” engages learners from diverse modalities (visual, linguistic, kinesthetic, analytical, and global learners) and offers authentic learning opportunities beyond the walls of the lecture hall. Photovoice as a pedagogical strategy was adapted from Pfister’s year-long ethnographic fieldwork with deaf youth participants and their families in Mexico City, Mexico. Student images will be featured in this poster presentation and Ms. Rivera-Whalen, a student in Pfister’s Introduction to Anthropology class, will describe her experience with this project.
https://digitalcommons.unf.edu/dhi/2016/Fall/15