Eric Miller (World Storytelling Institute)
First there was ethnographic photography. This was joined by ethnographic film and video. Now there is also ethnographic videoconferencing. The evolution of communication technology that has brought us videoconferencing can have a special impact on ethnographic research, documentation, and presentation practices. The evolution, visually-speaking, is from still-images; to moving images that have been previously-recorded; to moving images interacting with each other (representing living people almost instantaneously). Representation has long been an issue in ethnography. Now people of the culture under study can participate in the process of composing images of themselves -- including through videoconferencing.
Part of V4-04 Folklore Methodology: New (and Old) Approaches, Thursday, October 12, 8:00 am–10:00 am