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WORLD ANTHROPOLOGICAL UNION

CONGRESS 2024​

Paper

Breaking Boundaries: Engaging Public Audiences with Anthropology

presenters

    Selcen Kucukustel

    Nationality: Turkey

    Residence: Portugal

    University Institute of Lisbon

    Presence:Online

Keywords:

visual anthropology, public outreach, creativity, photography

Abstract:

In this paper I will discuss various ways we can communicate anthropological knowledge to different audiences through digital platforms. In the past, many anthropologists were intimidated by using visual materials for storytelling, since the only platforms available to reach out their stories, such as newspapers or magazines, were quite hard to reach. On top of that, working with traditional press meant that researchers mostly had little control on the stories they wanted to tell in between editorial decisions. However, thanks to the new developing digital platforms and technologies, there are many creative methods that anthropologists can use to make their research more available and understandable to general public independently. With the development in cameras and mobile phones, nowadays creating visuals usually requires little technical ability, but more creative thinking. Unfortunately, most anthropology departments do not provide enough training on the subject, leaving scholars only dependent on text, still intimidated by new technologies. As a media practitioner, I will discuss some simple ways we can share our research with the public as well as discussing why most anthropologists are still distant to the idea of social media platforms, usually worried about being misunderstood or over simplification of their research . Based on my current research in the Amazons and Siberia where I aim to create a digital living map of two communities I work with, I will give concrete examples on public outreach and how to overcome these fears.