{"id":14716,"date":"2017-10-21T08:12:16","date_gmt":"2017-10-21T15:12:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dminlgp\/?p=14716"},"modified":"2017-10-21T21:36:32","modified_gmt":"2017-10-22T04:36:32","slug":"14716-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/14716-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Standing Firm"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sarah Pink\u2019s, Doing Visual Ethnography <\/em>is a breakthrough in the use of visual media to inspire, create, and express new dimensions of knowledge. Ethnography is an approach for researchers to connect and relate to social cultures with new disciplines, agendas, and theoretical principles.[1]<\/a> Pink\u2019s work confirms the successful transition of visual anthropology into the 21st<\/sup> Century scientific research community. Ethnography, as a research technique, can be shared with \u201ctextual, historical, narrative, statistical, and a whole range of research practices.\u201d[2]<\/a> Discovery, shared learning, and the creation of new knowledge are the three areas that impacted me the most about Pink\u2019s work. This book review will engage ethnography through a discussion of images, survey, and interview.<\/p>\n

First, I discovered that the use of pictures, video, and other media artifacts fall into a newly accepted research technique called Visual Ethnography. People who take, use, borrow, and otherwise obtain images and other visual media to research and understand phenomenon are called Ethnographers.\u00a0 Pink says that images \u201cact as a force\u201d that can transform thoughts, cultures, people groups, social sciences, and even memories.[3]<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0 Prosser characterizes ethnography as \u201cpart and parcel of contemporary qualitative methodological armoury.\u201d[4]<\/a>\u00a0 The users, or audience of the visual images, are therefore \u201ccritical methodologists\u201d who want to include the \u201cvisual dimension\u201d into their work and research.[5]<\/a>\u00a0 Acting as an ethnographer at a Cape Town Advance lecture I observed, listened to, and experienced the narrated images from Winston Mahlatse who shared his story about growing up in an African tribal home that practiced ancestralism.[6]<\/a>\u00a0 Combined with digital images of the presenter-informant, his use of dramatic vocal and non-verbal gestures, and our combined experiences in spiritual warfare, we made an ethnographic connection with some original shared meaning.<\/p>\n

Second, in addition to connecting on shared meaning, Winston and I shared an ethnographic moment of shared learning. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, I presented Winston with an Armor of God (AOG) challenge coin after his presentation.\u00a0 In that moment, with timeless implications, we shared Christ\u2019s metaphorical presence as the supernatural armor we both wear when engaged in spiritual battle against the forces of evil.\u00a0 Using the AOG coin as an ethnographic artifact, Winston and I surveyed the design, felt the six images representing the armor, and experienced a tangible sensation that held us in a state of spiritual-suspension as the Holy Spirit transferred our shared learning and discernment into our hearts, minds, and souls.\u00a0 Our meeting lasted less than one-minute, but something special happened that I believe epitomizes Pink\u2019s goal for the ethnographer (me) and the informant (Winston) to experience the creation of new knowledge.[7]<\/a><\/p>\n

Third, what is knowledge in the ethnographic context? According to Pink, it is not the scientific method of translating \u201cvisual evidence into verbal knowledge.\u201d[8]<\/a>\u00a0 Instead, Pink\u2019s approach to knowledge is the intentional process of exploring the \u201crelationships\u201d between visual, verbal, and other forms of knowledge.[9]<\/a>\u00a0 Ethnographic interviews using photographs as artifacts is one the best researcher tools for expressing, interpreting, and representing culture and society.[10]<\/a>\u00a0 Using the AOG coin as a visual artifact, Winston and I exchanged new ethnographic knowledge. We formed a predestined relationship, explored our knowledge of spiritual warfare, and interpreted the application of the AOG artifact in a 3-way call with the Holy Spirt as operator and guide.\u00a0 The two AOG artifacts included in this post represent one example of hypermedia and one visual artifact.\u00a0 The hypermedia represents a visual insert that folds in half and can be included in a plastic pouch that holds the AOG coin.\u00a0 It connects the ethnographic informant with the Biblical connection, scriptural direction, and images of the armor of God.\u00a0 The hypermedia-insert ethnographically associates with the AOG two-sided challenge coin.\u00a0 \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Analyzing Visual Ethnography<\/em> against our other course books seemed easy.\u00a0 For example, Pink is not trying to teach us how to read, non-read, or study like Adler, Bayard, or Rowntree.\u00a0 However, like the other authors, she is trying to challenge our academic paradigms and extend our scholarly reach from the objective systematic into the subjective visual methods.\u00a0 Parkes describes Pink\u2019s ethnographic argument as a \u201cwholly new kind of anthropological apprehensions informed by images rather than words.\u201d[11]<\/a>\u00a0 Additionally, Pink is accused by some reviewers as \u201cthrowing out all systemic methods of objective visual research\u201d and she is called a \u201cethno-visualist\u201d whose images inspire \u201cfree theoretical association.\u201d[12]<\/a>\u00a0 I offer positive support for Pink\u2019s work.\u00a0 I find that Pink\u2019s ethnographic strategies, combined with traditional social, scientific, and theological methods provides the researcher with a scholarly tool-kit that will work on most makes and models of knowledge.<\/p>\n

In summary, this post focused on reviewing Pink\u2019s book through discovery, shared learning, and the ethnographic attributes of knowledge. I am satisfied that my AOG ministry connects with Pink\u2019s search for experienced reality and shared collaborations through visual media. I wanted to close with some encouragement for our Elite-8 cohorts. Persevering spiritually while wearing the full armor of God is a settled matter. Christ always wins!\u00a0 However, knowing that there is a cost to follow Christ, we should expect to receive some battle-damage along our doctoral flight.[13]<\/a>\u00a0 Thankfully, there is strength in numbers.\u00a0 Please join me in wearing the full armor of God for the next three years, holding the sword (Bible) in one hand, and shield (faith) in the other.\u00a0 Can you hear the trumpet sound the battle call?\u00a0 Let\u2019s all stand shoulder-to-shoulder on the LGP spiritual skirmish line, repelling evil, and advancing the Kingdom of God. Stand firm.<\/p>\n

M. Webb<\/p>\n

[1]<\/a> Sarah Pink. Doing Visual Ethnography<\/em>. (London: Sage Publications, 2013) 18.<\/h6>\n
[2]<\/a> Ibid., 6.<\/h6>\n
[3]<\/a> Ibid., 13.<\/h6>\n
[4]<\/a> Jon Prosser. “Book Review: SARAH PINK, Doing Visual Ethnography: Images, Media and Representation in Research (Second Edition). London, Thousand Oaks, New Dehli: SAGE, 2006, 224 Pp. ISBN 10 1 4129 2348 4 (pbk) \u00a321.99.” Qualitative Research<\/em> 8, no. 2 (2008): 267.<\/h6>\n
[5]<\/a> Ibid., 268.<\/h6>\n
[6]<\/a> Mahlatse Winston Mashua, \u201cMy Story\u201d (lecture, Commodore Hotel, Cape Town, SA, September 23, 2017).<\/h6>\n
[7]<\/a> Pink, Visual Ethnography,<\/em>44.<\/h6>\n
[8]<\/a> Ibid., 96.<\/h6>\n
[9]<\/a> Ibid.<\/h6>\n
[10]<\/a> Ibid., 18.<\/h6>\n
[11]<\/a> Peter Parkes and Sarah Pink. “Doing Visual Ethnography: Images, Media and Representation in Research.” Anthropological Theory<\/em> 3, no. 4 (2003): 505.<\/h6>\n
[12]<\/a> Ibid., 506.<\/h6>\n
[13]<\/a> Luke 14:28.<\/h6>\n

\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sarah Pink\u2019s, Doing Visual Ethnography is a breakthrough in the use of visual media to inspire, create, and express new dimensions of knowledge. Ethnography is an approach for researchers to connect and relate to social cultures with new disciplines, agendas, and theoretical principles.[1] Pink\u2019s work confirms the successful transition of visual anthropology into the 21st […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":104,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[279,1039],"class_list":["post-14716","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-pink","tag-spiritual-warfare","cohort-lgp8"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14716","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/104"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14716"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14716\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14722,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14716\/revisions\/14722"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14716"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14716"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14716"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}