They Say You Want a Revolution!
Historically, “words/text” were the lingua franca of the ethnographer’s world. However, there has been a shift in the understanding of how knowledge is gathered and represented. As well, there has been a surge in technological advancement that has made the equipment and production of media more assessable and its dissemination quicker and easier. This is the context in which Pink is a leading voice in a revolution within the anthropological community.
Doing Visual Ethnography is one of her speeches in which she is calling for the “[abandonment of] the possibility of a purely objective social science and rejecting the idea that the written word is essentially a superior medium of ethnographic representation.” (P. 10) In this call to revolution, “there is no essential hierarchy of knowledge or media for ethnographic representation.” (P10) In Pink’s world, media and not the pen is “more powerful than the sword!”
According to Pink, the book is not a book of methods but of methodology, a means of understanding the history and concepts of visual ethnography and of practicing them within the context of ethnographic research. It is, therefore, a book of theory as well as practice. (P 5 ) The book consists of three parts. In the first part, Pink discusses the historical, theoretical and practical perspective of visual ethnography. (P13) In the second part, she discusses the importance of media in actually gathering and producing knowledge/knowing. (P71) In part three she explains the dissemination of knowledge via media and the importance how “ethnographic knowledge” is represented or situated within a particular context. (P 161) Additionally, there are details on how to proceed with media research on a technical a methodological level.
The takeaway from this book is not so much in Pink’s explanation of the methodological use of media (photography, video, and the web) in ethnographic research, although it is helpful and interesting. The takeaway is in the fact that media alone (that is without text), is becoming a valid and authentic research methodology and not just an illustrative addendum to a text for the purpose of illustration. Media is quickly becoming a gatherer, producer, and purveyor of knowledge and a way of knowing. This is revolutionary, and my first question is: what are the implications for the mission of the Chruch? That certainly cannot be answered in this short post; I can only ask a few of the many questions.
Of course, the author is not trying to make a case for her argument within the missiological community. I’m not certain she is even aware that there would be interest or questions. But there are questions. For example: can a picture speak truth? Can a group of photographs, absent from text, convey or create knowledge/knowing in a way that in their context and arrangement disseminate the truth of the Gospel without words/text? Is media alone enough for someone to know truth or the Truth?
The eastern church has and continues to use icons as a means of veneration and expressing doctrine. The church, from its beginning, has used art as a means of expression of faith, reverence and to purvey doctrine. Are we coming to a time in history where media will be able to—not just illustrate the truth of the Gospel, but proclaim the truth without words, leading someone to a knowledge of God and His plan? Psalms 1 and Romans 8 allude to creation doing just that, and we know that God Incarnate is its fulfillment. But we are neither God nor gods. We are, however, “God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2) Can, therefore, the created (humankind) assemble a proclamation of knowledge (media) so clear and powerful that it can lead someone on a journey for the Truth? Can media proclaim without words? What a revolution that would be!
About the Author
Jim Sabella
3 responses to “They Say You Want a Revolution!”
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Jim great reflective post. I would say that media takes us where words may not be able to clearly convey. The idea that only written words can relay truth negates the opportunity to see truth conveyed through technical mediums that will engage us in a dynamic experience.
What I have found is that going beyond the written word is more complex in learning the world around us. If you and I were to look at the same image we may walk away with different take-aways. How we see the world is framed by our own context. That alone appears simple despite its genuine complexities. So images can take us beyond comprehending one persons written point of view to having to insert ourselves into the context as to discover something words could never express.
Thanks Chistal. I agree. That is one of the great things about media—”images can take us beyond comprehending one persons written point of view to having to insert ourselves into the context as to discover something words could never express.”
You raise a great point, Jim. Western Protestants have worked pretty hard to remove a dependence on imagery and focus on text/spoken word. What can we learn from cultures who rely on imagery rather than text? Is the visual really more subjective than text?