Blurred Visions: Reflecting Visual Anthropology

Blurred visions: Reflecting visual anthropology In 2001, the American Anthropological Association (AAA) set out guidelines for an evaluation of the field of visual anthropology in terms of its contribution to ethnographic knowledge, its methods and theory, its importance as a form of pedagogy, and its application in anthropological research. The short statement of less than 1,000 words was produced by the Society for Visual Anthropology to address the need for clarification about the qualitative assessment of visual works in terms of disciplinary standards. The AAA reached the opinion that visual media are appropriate for the production and dissemination of anthropological knowledge because they can ‘convey distinct forms of knowledge that writing cannot’ and they provide a means to experience and understand ‘ethnographic complexity richness and depth’. Methods of visual media production are equivalent to other ethnographic research techniques in the sense that they include long-term localized engagements, interviews and participant ...