GC A Note on Videos and Visual Anthropology

Class Videos . . .

One of the main characteristics of American Anthropology is fieldwork, "a primary research technique, involving “participant observation," which usually means living among the people one is interested in learning from and about.

It would be wonderful if for anthropology classes we could just rent a bus or charter a plane and fly off for a year or more to learn first-hand from the people themselves.

Money, time, and practicality prohibit that, so the next best things—when it comes to studying anthropology—is going to places and viewing subjects by film.

For this reason anthropology courses most often use video materials, and use them very frequently and intensely. The video materials used in class illustrate many topics covered in this course.

Consider these video materials a substitute—albeit a very poor substitute—for actually going to the places and seeing and hearing and tasting and feeling and smelling in person the various things discussed in class.

Or, for the less adventurous, consider these presentations similar to lab sessions, that is, watch them carefully and critically rather than simply watch another movie or video.

The exams will include these materials, and it will be assumed that you have paid critical attention to them.

Before we get into the video-intensive part of the course (towards the middle and end), take the Selective Attention Test (below) developed by Daniel Simons and Christopher Chabris. This should give you a little insight into the nature of observing—which lies at the very heart of anthropological fieldwork.

--GC Wk1 Watch (2) Video Clips: "Selective Attention" (1:21 min.) and "Monkey Business" (1:42 min.)

After you have taken Simon and Chabris' tests, think about how what you learned from them about perception might be applied as you view the videos for the rest of the semester—and food behaviors in real life as you roam the world thereafter.

Bon Voyage . . . !