Date of Completion

2020

Document Type

Honors College Thesis

Department

Anthropology

Thesis Type

Honors College, College of Arts and Science Honors

First Advisor

Luis Vivanco

Second Advisor

Teresa Mares

Third Advisor

Vicki Brennan

Keywords

Collaborative Ethnography, Visual Ethnography, Armenian, Tradition, Identity

Abstract

This research investigates the potential of ethnography to generate knowledge informed by community-centered storytelling and participation. Collaborative ethnographic methods are used to create a 25-minute multimedia video of the Madagh, an Armenian cultural tradition in Racine, Wisconsin. The purpose of this project is to utilize multi-media formats—a short video, website, and social media platforms—as strategies to build a collaborative process that democratizes fieldwork. Visual forms of representation are used to produce media content that will sustain and clarify cultural values and practices and foster appreciation and engagement across audiences. This research follows two threads: the first explores how Armenian identity and belonging are conceptualized and expressed by Racine, Wisconsin's diasporic Armenian community through the Madagh tradition in an ethnographic video. The second examines whether visual ethnography furthers the values and methodology of collaborative ethnography. This project asserts that when used in conjunction, both collaborative visual and written ethnography may be used to further an ambitious goal: to serve a practical purpose to benefit the community while also increasing the accessibility of ethnographic scholarship to widen the scope of discourse and expand contributions to anthropological thought.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.

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