Ethnographers have been visually documenting their research for over a century, and as sound equipment and cameras become increasingly affordable, more ethnographers are able to use these tools to supplement or even replace text-based accounts of research. From the seminal 1922 film Nanook of the North to the experimental works of Harvard’s Sensory Ethnography Lab, visual ethnography has sought to balance the accessibility of film with the rigors of academic research. The Ethnography Lab’s visual ethnography group aims to offer hands-on experience in visual research documentation and to promote a thorough understanding of the conceptual, ethical, and stylistic issues involved in this continually evolving methodology. We focus primarily on audio-visual methods, but photography, new media, and other visual input is welcomed.

More information about either subgroup can be found under the visual ethnography’s “Events & Meetings” tab in the main menu.

We welcome the involvement of students, filmmakers, and anyone interested in visual ethnography. For inquiries on this interest group please contact Maya El Helou at maya.elhelou@mail.utoronto.ca or Andrew Gilbert at andrew.gilbert@utorono.ca