136-275 Exploring Culture Through Film

Note

Available as 136-375 at 3rd-year level.

Credit Points

Coordinator

Prerequisites

None.

Semester

Contact

Subject Description

An introduction to visual anthropology requiring critical reading of texts on the history, theory and methods of ethnographic film making and the analysis of a selected corpus of historical and contemporary ethnographic films which will be screened during the semester. Students who complete this subject should: have acquired a basic knowledge of the utility of film in ethnographic research and the history of ethnographic film; have an understanding of the relationship of ethnography to the media in which it is composed; have acquired a knowledge of the theory, methods, and major empirical results of visual anthropology; have examined critically problems of text and representation in ethnography.

Assessment

Please note: A requirement for this subject is that students keep a journal of notes about the films screened for the subject for reference in tutorials and the examination. Formal assessment: Essays and/or assignments of not to exceed 5000 words. An examination may be substituted for part of this written work.