| Course Title: Special Topics in Anthropology: 'Ethnographic Film' |
| Start Date: 01/27/2026 End Date: 05/12/2026 |
| Term: Spring Semester 2026 |
| Description: Anthropologists have made films since the origins of the discipline and have long debated the role of film in the production of knowledge about others. This course explores the history, evolution, critiques, and contemporary practices of ethnographic film. We will consider key works that have defined the genre, and the innovations (and controversies) associated with them; we will engage documentary, observational, reflexive, and experimental cinema; and we will consider Indigenous media as both social activism and cultural reproduction. We will learn about film as a signifying practice, and grapple with the ethical and political concerns raised by cross-cultural representation. |
| Distribution(s): III - Social Sciences , MP - Multicultural Perspectives , TP - Topics Course |
| Academic Level Of Course: Undergraduate | Credits:4.00 |
| Faculty | Phone | Email address |
| Sabra Thorner | sthorner@mtholyoke.edu |
| Meeting Dates | Method | Meeting days | Meeting times | Building name | Room | Frequency |
| 01/27/2026 - 05/12/2026 | Lecture | Monday and Wednesday | 11:30AM - 12:45PM | TBA | TBA | Weekly |
| 01/27/2026 - 05/12/2026 | Film Screening | Wednesday | 07:15PM - 10:05PM | Weekly |
| Requisite Courses | ||
| Prereq: ANTHR-105, FMT-102, or FMT-103. | Take previously | Required |
| Comments |
| Additional Comments |
| Course Tags | ||
| PRI0001 | Used to identify primary sides of crosslisted courses for Workday conversion |
| Cross-listed Sections |
| ANTHR-216EF-01 Ethnographic Film |
| FMT-230EF-01 Ethnographic Film |
| Course Availability | ||||
| Section status: Waitlisted | Capacity: 20 | Enrollment: 20 | Available: 0 | Waitlist: 1 |
BOOK INFORMATION
| Book List | Required | Publisher Full Price |
| To be determined. |
| Additional Book Comments |
| This is NOT the complete book list for this class. |