EGSH autumn school: Visual ethnography as a qualitative research method

Introduction

ECTS: 3
Number of sessions: 5
Hours per session: 8

Do you want to dive deeper into your field, see things from a new creative angle, and make actual impact with your research? Visual ethnography is a qualitative research method that uses camera and audio recording in fieldwork to capture and analyse the textures, rhythms, and meanings of everyday life differently than written word alone.

This intensive, hands-on crash course introduces PhD students and other academics to the full cycle of visual ethnographic research: from theoretical foundations and ethical considerations, through fieldwork with a camera, to editing a short film (1-3 min) on your own research topic.

Over five days, participants move between campus and the field.  Active participation throughout the full week is required. There are no written assignments; the main output is the short film produced during the course.

Who is this for?

Relations with other courses

This course complements other qualitative methods courses offered at the EGSH. Participants who are new to ethnographic thinking may benefit from first attending the introductory course Ethnography.

The course can also serve as a methodological extension for those who have already completed more text-based qualitative methods training and are looking to expand their repertoire.

Lastly, the skills developed in this course (observation, narrative construction, and reflexivity in the field) are all transferable to a range of qualitative and mixed-methods approaches. 
 

Sessions and preparations

Day 1 (on campus): Introduction to visual ethnography and equipment
The first day provides a thorough grounding in visual ethnography as a method: its history, theoretical underpinnings, ethical considerations, and relationship to other qualitative approaches. In the afternoon, participants are introduced to the camera and audio equipment they will use in the field. Through practical exercises they familiarize themselves with basic filming and sound recording techniques and discuss what it means to conduct fieldwork with a camera.
Preparation: Read the short introductory reading provided in the course syllabus (distributed before the course starts). Practice editing with your chosen software with the practice material provided before the course starts.

Days 2–3 (fieldwork): Independent or paired fieldwork
Participants go into the field, individually or in self-chosen pairs, to record footage on their selected topic. Topics are also provided in a list prepared by the instructor. The aim is to gather sufficient raw material to tell a short visual story. Participants are encouraged to keep brief field notes alongside their footage.
Preparation: Choose or develop your fieldwork topic before the end of Day 1. Ensure you have access to your field.

Day 4 (on campus): Introduction to editing and narrative construction
Participants return to campus with their raw footage. The day focuses on learning to edit: how to select and organise clips, build a narrative arc, and add basic sound design. Working individually or in pairs, participants assemble a rough cut of their film. If gaps are identified or participants are interested in found footage (for example archival footage), they learn where to find it and how to incorporate it. 
Preparation: Transfer all footage to the editing workstation before the session begins (instructions provided in the syllabus).

Day 5 (on campus): Final editing, analysis, and screening
The final day is devoted to completing the film: refining the edit, deepening the analytical framing, and producing the finished short film (1–3 minutes). In the evening, there is an option to screen and watch the films together and reflect on what each project has revealed about its topic.
Preparation: No specific preparation required.