It’s a Barbie World
Ethnography is the study of images and what images mean for a particular culture. Its art 101 mixed with anthropology 101 but tagged with a $50 name. My immediate question is, what’s the point of learning about what images mean? We all already use images intuitively. Is it not enough to just continue to do what we all already do naturally. The frustrating aspect about this field of research is that many people are doing it and have done it without even realizing it. They are capturing pictures that represent who they are personally, their culture, their core values, and their ethos without ever intentionally studying ethnography. Yet despite all that, there is still value in an intentional thorough study, analysis, and reflection of culture and it’s use of imagery. The ‘what‘ of ethnography might be simple, but the ‘why’ is nobler than I expected.
Why bother with ethnography?
Because, if you don’t understand how something works, you cant fix it when it breaks.
Our culture is breaking and we as the people of God are charged with (among other things) fixing it. We must understand it to fix it! So, what are the core values of our culture? What can inspire a community or even a country into action? What is about our culture or nature that drives us so to be so individualistic and yet so inspired by community-oriented slogans like “think globally, act locally.” These are things which are ambiguously complex and yet if you push through and understand you can use to communicate a powerful message when the time comes.
We should be like the Men Issachar. People who understand the times. When you understand the times only then can When you have received spiritual vision from God, and you understand the times you are living in, that is a powerful combination. Ethnography comes into play in this because it’s a tool for the leader to use to communicate directly to the art of its people. It taps into the ethos and primes them to hear your logos.
I wanted to share with our cohort what I consider a great example of “ethnography” from someone who probably has never heard of that word. A young woman who took a step back and could see some of the larger trends happening within social media (which by the way transcends almost all country borders and has a culture of its own). This woman saw the macrotrends happening around her (much like an ethnographer would have studied culture and analyzed photos) and decided to use these trends to get her own message across – the importance of authenticity.
I know of this woman only from what she posts on her Instagram page which quickly grew to 1 million followers. although she has since retired from her posting. She appeared to have been someone who was able to see trends and macro-culture happening across Instagram. She pierced into the culture and pointed out the superficiality by showing these same pictures that everyone craves but replaced the selfie subject with a Barbie doll. You can find her on Instagram @SocalityBarbie, but here are a few of my favorite of her posts.
And here is her final explanation and retirement photo.
Once one understands the times, they can speak to it in a way people will intuitively get. This can be used to present your intended message, or it can be used to easily throw commentary or satire back at the culture that was being observed.
My point is simple – when you understand a culture and how images are used by that culture you have access to communicate powerful messages very quickly.
In conclusion, here is an image that our LGP8 culture will understand and love.
11 responses to “It’s a Barbie World”
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Kyle,
Your take on ethnography was humorous and speaks to an online group that longs for community and connection even with a Barbie doll that is living it up. How sad it is to see that those seeking connection are finding it in a make believe world. How do we as ministers and teachers of the Word help bring reality and truth about the one true God that we can not see, take a picture of nor follow on Instagram.
Kyle,
I found your blog this week both compelling and challenging. I was particularly interested in this quote; “…when you understand a culture and how images are used by that culture you have access to communicate powerful messages very quickly.” As you know, we use images in Youth Ministry all of the time, yet I am not certain how effective they are much of the time. I think often it is a means simply to entertain in order to remain attractive but, is often lacking in depth. I wonder how you might suggest that we determine effectiveness of the images we utilize in ministry settings.
Really engaging post, Kyle. Just one thing I want to clarify, it seems as if you have understood the field of ethnography to be one and the same with visual ethnography in defining it like this: “Ethnography is the study of images and what images mean for a particular culture.” In fact, ethnography is a broader field, defined as “the scientific description of peoples and cultures with their customs, habits, and mutual differences,” whereas visual ethnography is doing ethnography (ie scientifically describing peoples and cultures, etc…) through the use of images.
But the only reason I know that is because missionaries are trained to do ethnographic studies. The book, which Iknow was meant to be a “primer” seemed to assume a lot of knowledge on the part of the reader. I found this to be highly frustrating.
The Barbie Images are great. Thanks for bringng them into the conversation.
Thanks Jen. You’re right. Thanks for clarifying. That was an unfortunate oversight on my part.
Hi Kyle,
I recognize the significance of that last image! Glad you shared that.
I was immediately interested in your post, when you used the thought that we are already doing visual ethnography “intuitively” and I could not agree with you more. In this day of visualness, we are way ahead of previous generations. Unfortunately, we are way behind in other areas like face to face communication, but that is a conversation for a different day.
Thanks for the insightful post!
Thanks for your post Kyle and for sharing the example you did of intuitive ethnography. I connected a little bit with your post because I found myself thinking the same thing, in that we are already doing this all the time intuitively, and these researches have basically observed what culture already does, give it some academic terminology and vocabulary for the field, and then act like you invented it and own it. Real culture-makers laugh at such an “ivory tower” academic pursuit. Still, like you, I found value in the researchers ability to describe what’s happening and put words to what people like us do everyday, so that we can understand it better and improve our craft. I found the section on ethics important for us intuitive ethnographers, to keep us mindful of the cultures with whom we are researching.
Thanks Kyle for this post. Now I’ve got that “I’m a Barbie girl” earworm stuck in my head. Thanks?? 😉
I appreciate the irony of @SocialityBarbie – it’s a real good critique of our plastic world and where our culture has fallen flat. In my opinion we resonate with this because of materialism gone rampant, where we’ve abandoned God and a deeper reality beyond what we can see and observe now.
For awhile I “followed” a different Barbie on Instagram. Have you seen @BarbieSavior? https://www.instagram.com/barbiesavior/ This offers a sly critique of mission in Africa, and exposes our Western prejudices and narrowmindedness.
Kyle, Like Mark I have your title stuck in my head and am a little annoyed at the song. Ugh! Good job on the illusion to audio ethnography?
I like the idea of knowing what it is so that way when it’s broken we know how to then fix it. I really resonated with that and think VE is a tool that could easily be set aside because it’s foreign in it’s theory but yet common in it’s practice.
Two other things:
1- I know exactly where the first picture is taken of Barbie with coffee – Coava Coffee on Grand in Portland. I had to zoom in to see that I was right. Super fun and cliche Portland hipster station.
2- Did you get a manicure for your Elite 8 photo or did Anna paint do your nails? Either way they look good!
“Come on Barbie, let’s go party!”
Kyle,
Your quote “The ‘what‘ of ethnography might be simple, but the ‘why’ is nobler than I expected.”, is the heart of studying anything. What is theology, why do we study it, you picked up a great insight in your post. I enjoyed the use of the Barbie Girl, what a great way to start a conversation. That’s all we can really ask for is a opportunity to speak.
Hi Kyle!
Great use of Barbie! I appreciated your interesting perspective on ethnography. Because we enjoy your role and perspective as the elite 8 millennial, I’m curious about your statement “These are things which are ambiguously complex and yet if you push through and understand you can use to communicate a powerful message when the time comes.” I see your generation as a socially aware, justice oriented group. I’m wondering how/when/where you see the opportunity for this powerful message? And also, what will the message be?
Kyle!
The title of your blog post was total “click-bait” and I bought it. First post that I’ve read this week of all our cohort (congrats!). And you came through with the Barbie insights that related to the visual ethnography topic. Nice work!
The one thing that caught my eye in the post was the reference to the Men of Issachar from 1 Chronicles. The men who “understood the times” and knew what to do, for themselves and also “all their relatives under their command.” My question is about how “self-aware” this men of Issachar really seemed to be–they saw the situation they were in and had instincts for what to do about it, but, their actions also impacted their families, especially women and children and servants, who didn’t really have any say. I think part of what Pink was trying to do was to bring in more voices to the decision making (including those usually not represented). Anyway, that’s a thought on that one…