Paper short abstract:

The paper describes what happens when an anthropologist uses film and participatory photography in an ethnographic study among 8-15-year-old expatriate children and youth in Finland. The paper describes the visual tools and techniques used as well as the ethical dilemmas encountered.

Paper long abstract:

Audio-image making is widespread in the contemporary world. Children and teenagers in particular are very familiar with visual representations and tools used to make them. In this paper, I discuss my experiences as an anthropologist who used film and participatory photography projects in an ethnographic study among 8-15-year-old expatriate children and youth in Finland. I argue that in addition to being very familiar with audio-image making, the children and youth were very familiar with questions of anonymity, privacy and ethics related to visual representations. This caused several challenges for the research process utilizing visual tools. In addition, it is not necessarily easy to involve children and teenagers in a research project that requires them to use their free time. In this paper, I explain how I managed to proceed with the research. I also describe the concrete tools and techniques that I utilized in order to create and gather visual data. In addition, I discuss the various challenges, disappointments and failures as well as the joys and excitement that I encountered during the fieldwork. I also elaborate on research ethics and on how the visual aspects of my research were nevertheless useful and enriching in my study.