has filmTechniques of 'displacing the gaze': Rethinking the pedagogy of an anthropology research methods course at Oxford
Paola Esposito
(University of Oxford)
Ben Taylor-Green
(University of Oxford)
In this presentation, we discuss some of the ways in which an educational anthropology, as a practice of becoming attentive and responsive to others and the lifeworld, is mobilised in anthropological research training at Oxford
Paper long abstract:
How might an 'e-ducational gaze' which 'liberates and displaces' our view (Masschelein 2010) be integrated in a 'traditional' anthropology curriculum?
In this presentation, we consider some of the ways in which an educational anthropology, as a practice of becoming attentive and responsive to others and the lifeworld, might be mobilised in anthropological research training at master's and doctoral level. Using the example of a methods course called 'Ethnographic Portraiture' taught at the School of Anthropology & Museum Ethnography at the University of Oxford, we discuss the ways in which the pedagogical scaffolding for this course has been redesigned in recent years to actualise some of the principles of an educational anthropology.
We begin by briefly introducing the history of the course, before setting out the present pedagogical principles that we use in the transformed, present-day course. We move on to illustrate two of the guiding concepts we work with during the course today. The first is 'ekphrasis', whose ancient and modern definitions - emphasising the visual imagination as evoked by text, and the translation of one media into another, respectively - can become key to the practice of creative anthropological work. The second is 'abduction', coined by Peirce, defined as a species of speculative reasoning, involving insight (cf. Leach 1982:52) and which helps summon the artistic, as well as playful sensibility of anthropology.
We reveal two practical exercises that we ask students to undertake with relation to these guiding concepts, and conclude by briefly showcasing a small selection of the work students have produced in response to these concepts and associated activities.
Accepted Contribution:
Contribution description:
Paper long abstract:
How might an 'e-ducational gaze' which 'liberates and displaces' our view (Masschelein 2010) be integrated in a 'traditional' anthropology curriculum?
In this presentation, we consider some of the ways in which an educational anthropology, as a practice of becoming attentive and responsive to others and the lifeworld, might be mobilised in anthropological research training at master's and doctoral level. Using the example of a methods course called 'Ethnographic Portraiture' taught at the School of Anthropology & Museum Ethnography at the University of Oxford, we discuss the ways in which the pedagogical scaffolding for this course has been redesigned in recent years to actualise some of the principles of an educational anthropology.
We begin by briefly introducing the history of the course, before setting out the present pedagogical principles that we use in the transformed, present-day course. We move on to illustrate two of the guiding concepts we work with during the course today. The first is 'ekphrasis', whose ancient and modern definitions - emphasising the visual imagination as evoked by text, and the translation of one media into another, respectively - can become key to the practice of creative anthropological work. The second is 'abduction', coined by Peirce, defined as a species of speculative reasoning, involving insight (cf. Leach 1982:52) and which helps summon the artistic, as well as playful sensibility of anthropology.
We reveal two practical exercises that we ask students to undertake with relation to these guiding concepts, and conclude by briefly showcasing a small selection of the work students have produced in response to these concepts and associated activities.
Anthropology as education
Session 1