Study programme
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First semester
In the first semester, you focus on anthropological theories and how film, with its material, poetic and aesthetic possibilities, can contribute to broader conversations in our discipline and beyond. Hence, you start your programme with the course Key Debates in Visual Anthropology. You then move on to prepare your research project and fieldwork in a course entitled Designing Visual Fieldwork. Here you explore the works of visual anthropologists and filmmakers to develop your approach and its methodological implications to figure out what your camera-based research will be like. You will be supported in designing a research plan that is specific to a camera-based methodology. This phase includes a high-intensity one-week film-practice programme called the Pressure Cooker that is complemented by viewings of anthropological films.
Further to Designing Visual Fieldwork, you join a Thematic Elective where you learn to identify and apply the interconnection between theory and ethnographic practice, and to critically and creatively explore key concepts in your research project. This course will help you anchor your research project in a contemporary and theoretically engaged field of knowledge and research praxis.
In January, you make a start with your research project: Ethnographic Fieldwork. Fieldwork is the core component of this Master’s programme and is guided by your interests while intending to deepen your prior knowledge. Your thesis supervisor will accompany you throughout the process.
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Second semester
After concluding the courses and having received the go-ahead for your fieldwork proposal, you will undertake ethnographic fieldwork in the period between January to halfway March. You will spend ten weeks in a specific setting and/or community to produce an archive of images, sounds and texts, provided that we can find a good supervisor for the project, that there are no travel restrictions and that you have completed the necessary preparations.
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Fieldwork
Long-term immersion in a fieldwork site, which implies the re-socialisation of the researcher in other people's life worlds, is the hallmark of all anthropological research. This is no different for visual anthropologists. The best work in visual anthropology is grounded in the trust, intimacy and tacit knowledge that comes with 'deep hanging out'. You will therefore conduct ethnographic fieldwork for a period of ten weeks where your film footage bears witness to the relationships you develop and the insights you gain. It is important, as a visual anthropologist, to stay reflexive about your mode of doing anthropology and be in dialogue with other modalities.
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Key Debates in AnthropologyPeriod 18
This anthropology course, "Key Debates in Anthropology," delves into ongoing theoretical discussions in social science, emphasising the role of ethnography. Students engage with diverse themes such as "Writing Culture" and "Multimodality" to anchor their research projects in contemporary anthropological discourse, fostering a theoretical understanding of the field.
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Restricted-choice electivesPeriod 14
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Thesis Seminar Visual AnthropologyPeriod 1Period 26
The Visual Thesis Seminar guides students in transitioning from camera-based fieldwork to creating audio-visual work and a written report. The course, customised for individual projects, includes relevant readings and screenings. It features a step-by-step program covering organization of footage, anthropological film criteria, narrative structure, and montage principles, emphasizing the conceptual link between audio-visual work and the written report.
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Designing Visual AnthropologyPeriod 1Period 212
This course guides students in developing a solid research plan for their Master's research project, focusing on visual anthropology and relevant literature. The course covers methods, audio-visual techniques, and research skills through tutorials and workshops. Assessment includes research assignments and a comprehensive research proposal covering introduction, research question, theoretical perspective, setting description, methods, bibliography, time schedule, and budget.
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Fieldwork Visual AnthropologyPeriod 1Period 2Period 3Period 4Period 5Period 615
The course aims to provide practical experience in field research, guiding students to adapt research elements to local contexts, apply diverse methods, and analyze data for their research questions. Emphasizing reflection on anthropological theories, the ultimate objective is to produce data for a (visual) thesis. Fieldwork is a vital component, requiring immersive participation and addressing practical, theoretical, and positional challenges.
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Thesis seminar Visual AnthropologyPeriod 5Period 66
The Visual Thesis Seminar facilitates the transition from camera-based fieldwork to creating audio-visual work and a written report. The course is tailored to individual projects, incorporating relevant readings and inspiring screenings, providing a step-by-step program for organizing footage, developing anthropological film criteria, creating a narrative structure, and exploring montage principles. Students are prompted from the start to conceptualize the relationship between audio-visual work and the written report.
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Master Thesis Visual AnthropologyPeriod 1Period 2Period 3Period 4Period 5Period 615
The Visual Anthropology Thesis aims to present an audio-visual document alongside a written and oral account of an individual student's research study. The objectives include demonstrating familiarity with methodological and ethical aspects of social-scientific and camera-based research, extrapolating theoretical insights from empirical knowledge, and understanding and analyzing the social world and beliefs of different societal structures and cultures.