Multimodal Anthropology: Audio-visual and digital experimentation

Course content

This multimodal anthropology-course is for students interested in working audio-visually in combination with digital ethnography and sensory ethnography. It integrates lectures, workshops, hands-on group work, and exercises - and analytical work is part of this. The exam is portfolio-based, and feedback is an integral part of the course. Students will be introduced to the history of ethnographic film and newer work within multimodal anthropology. The weight is on collaborative and experimental approaches, and we draw on the many technological possibilities available to ethnographically do research, perform analysis, and share knowledge in various modalities. Students will learn to formulate questions and research them through audio-visual and digital ethnographic means in short field exercises. During this course, students will be briefly introduced to making and editing video, stills, podcasts, elements for websites, (analogue or digital) visualizations or mappings, and do short exercises focused on one or more of these modalities. It is an integral part of the course to practice arguing (orally and in writing) for the modalities and formats you choose to work in. Questions pertaining to knowledge-sharing, dissemination, and publishing of results in various formats, is part of this, as students will learn to critically engage with questions of audiences and public(s): who can access this knowledge and whom does it benefit?

 

This course may prepare interested students for MA research, and thesis in the form of ‘visual communication thesis’.

Education

The course is open to:

  • Exchange and Guest students from abroad
  • Credit students from Danish Universities

 

Full-degree students enrolled at the Faculty of Social Science, UCPH 

  • Master Programme in Social Data Science
  • Master Programme in Political Science and Social Science
  • Bachelor and Master Programme in Psychology

 

Enrolled students register the course through the Selfservice. Please contact the study administration at each programme for questions regarding registration.
 

Please note that this course is identical to AANA18136U Multimodal Anthropology: Audio-visual and digital experimentation 7,5 ECTS.This means that if you have passed the Multimodal course worth 7,5 ECTS,  you cannot sign up for this Multimodal course worth 15 ECTS.

Learning outcome

At the end of the course students must be able to:

 

Knowledge:

  • Research, perform analysis, and share knowledge in various modalities
  • Critically engage with questions of audiences, public(s), and access

 

Skills:

  • Have familiarized themselves with the history and practice of audio-visual and multimodal anthropology
  • Have experimented with either still photography, video, podcast, (analogue or digital) visualizations or mappings as an anthropological approach
  • Have practiced giving and receiving (peer) feedback

 

Competences:

  • Relate their own practice to the history and theory of (visual) anthropology and current/newer multimodal work
  • Arguing (orally and in writing) for the modalities and formats they choose to work in and implications/constraints/complementarities of these

The home arena for the course is Ethnographic Exploratory 4.1.12. The form of teaching is underpinned by the belief that learning occurs in communities of practice, where you move in-between lectures, exercises, instruction, discussion of literature, experiments in co-research and feedback sessions. Through these iterative movements, an embodied understanding of working ethnographically in different formats and across the physical and digital dimensions emerge.

MA students must include supplementary literature in the exam, which the student selects.

Continuous feedback during the course of the semester
Peer feedback (Students give each other feedback)
ECTS
15 ECTS
Type of assessment
Home assignment
Type of assessment details
Free written home assignment with examination prerequisites

The home assignment can be done in groups of up to 4 students. In group assignments, each student’s contribution must be clearly marked in the assignment. The length of the assignment must be a maximum of 10 pages for BA students and a maximum of 12 pages for MA students. For group submissions, an additional 3 pages per extra BA student and an additional 3 pages per extra MA student are allowed. For groups where BA and MA students are writing together, the page limit corresponds to that of MA students.

Students must indicate on the first page of the assignment whether they are BA or MA students. In the case of a group assignment, the individual student's contribution must be clearly marked in the assignment.

The number of standard pages is calculated according to the assumption that a standard page is defined as 2,400 keystrokes including spaces. Read further about Formal requirements for written assignments and exams in Curricula’s Common Part for the Faculty of Social Sciences.
Examination prerequisites

To be eligible for the exam, the student must have submitted and had approved 2-7 written assignments during the course.

Aid
All aids allowed

Policy on the Use of Generative AI Software and Large Language Models in Exams

The Department of Anthropology allows the use of generative AI software and large language models (AI/LLMs), such as ChatGPT, in written exams, provided that the use of AI/LLMs is disclosed and specified (i.e., how it was used and for what purpose) in an appendix that does not count towards the page limit of the exam.

 

If AI/LLMs are used as source, the same requirements apply for using quotation marks and source referencing as with all other sources. Otherwise, it will be a case of plagiarism.

Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
No external censorship
Re-exam

Free written home assignment with examination prerequisites

1st re-exam: An essay must be submitted. The new assignment must be submitted by the deadline for the re-exam. The examination prerequisites must be fulfilled before the re-examination can be conducted.

 

2nd re-exam: A new essay must be submitted. The new assignment must be submitted by the deadline for the re-exam. The examination prerequisites must be fulfilled before the re-examination can be conducted.

Criteria for exam assessment

See learning outcome

  • Category
  • Hours
  • Lectures
  • 84
  • Preparation
  • 200
  • Exam
  • 128
  • English
  • 412

Kursusinformation

Language
English
Course number
AANA18128U
ECTS
15 ECTS
Programme level
Bachelor
Bachelor choice
Full Degree Master
Full Degree Master choice
Duration

1 semester

Placement
Spring
Studyboard
Department of Anthropology, Study Council
Contracting department
  • Department of Anthropology
  • Department of Psychology
  • Department of Political Science
  • Social Data Science
Contracting faculty
  • Faculty of Social Sciences
Course Coordinator
  • Karen Waltorp   (13-6f65766972327b657078737674446572786c7673326f7932686f)
Saved on the 09-05-2025

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Courseinformation of students