Multimodal Ethnography in Visual Anthropology
Summary
Multimodal ethnography in visual anthropology represents an integrative approach to understanding human cultures through the combined use of visual, auditory and textual media. By employing film, photography, audio recordings, mapping and digital platforms, researchers capture layered sensory experiences, social interactions and spatial relationships that conventional text alone cannot convey. This method foregrounds the co‐constitution of researcher and participant perspectives, emphasising reflexivity and collaborative authorship. It has become instrumental in documenting Indigenous knowledge, migrant and refugee lifeworlds, health narratives and community activism. Practical applications range from participatory mapping of environmental change to co-creative filmmaking that addresses social stigma. Globally, the approach fosters ethical engagement, amplifies marginalised voices and opens new pathways for public dissemination and policy impact.
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Multimodal Ethnography in Visual Anthropology publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in multimodal ethnography in visual anthropology across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Multimodal ethnography: An approach combining visual, acoustic, textual and spatial media to capture multiple dimensions of human experience.
Visual anthropology: The subdiscipline of anthropology focused on the study and production of visual media as both data and analytic tools.
Reflexivity: The ongoing critical examination of how researchers’ assumptions, choices and interactions shape the ethnographic process and its outcomes.
Co-creative research: A collaborative methodology in which participants actively engage in designing, producing and interpreting media outputs alongside the researcher.
Embodied ethnography: A mode of inquiry emphasising researchers’ and participants’ bodily experiences and performative practices as sources of ethnographic insight.
References
- Broken gods: Collaborative filmmaking in troubled times. American Anthropologist (2022).
- Co‐Creative Multimodal Storytelling on HIV: Activating Images through Reflexive Authorship. Visual Anthropology Review (2023).
- Embodying Place. Visual Anthropology Review (2023).
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