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Photographic Fieldnotes

Photographic Fieldnotes. A way to perceive a field & a contribution to thick description ? Kim Rasmussen – Roskilde University. Can photograpic fieldnotes contribute to thick description of a field?. What is a photograpic fieldnote?

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Photographic Fieldnotes

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  1. Photographic Fieldnotes A way to perceive a field & a contribution to thick description ? Kim Rasmussen – Roskilde University

  2. Can photograpic fieldnotes contribute to thick description of a field? • What is a photograpic fieldnote? • What is the difference between a written fieldnote and a photograpic fieldnote? • Methodologies in a project about childrens everydaylife • Examples of photograpic fieldnotes from the project • Do photographic fieldnotes contribute to ”thick description”?

  3. First: 4 Examples of photograpic fieldnotes They are from a study of the everydaylife of 4 children (mental retarded): In the form presented here ,they are rather a ”thin description” than a ”thick description”

  4. WRITTEN FIELDNOTES: They are keywords / koded signs They are perceptions transformed to written keywords They are not identical with the field – but word-symbols which represent a sense of the living world They represent an angel embedded into my first interpretation, a frame, a focus – but in an abstract not-visual form They represent a condensed meaning PHOTOGRAPIC FIELDNOTES: They are visual koded signs / and sometimes ”decisive moments” (Cartier-Bresson) They are perceptions - ”shot” and transformed to visual representations They are not identical with the field – but a mimetic transformation from the material world They represent a visual angel, a frame, a focus – in a form which look alike the material world They represent a construction of light/shadow and encoding meaning Some theoretical reflection about fieldnoteswhat is the difference between written and photographic fieldnotes?

  5. More reflection about fieldnotes • The proces before and behind fieldnotes is mysterius! • What is involved in the proces when you are transforming a living field to fieldnotes? • - the whole body is involved • - our body is directed against something • - our senses and emotions are involved • - an expression has done an impression • - we are encoding a sign (word, photo…) which later is decoded • - words, sentences, photos… capture and depict informations and inscriptions of social life and social discourse • What is the benefit of fieldnotes? • - a help to our memory • - a help to elicitate narratives • - a help to keep details as well as context in mind • - can later be a help to communicate to a public • - photos can contribute to our descriptions

  6. A few words about the methodologies behind the project about childrens everydaylife LATEST PROJECT: Everydaylife of children from a minority (Down Syndrom) EMPIRICAL METHODS: Following and observingeach of 4 children during a week - from early morning to night - from home to preschool /school /other social arenas and back Written and photograpic fieldnotes THE AIM: To get close to the childrens everydaylife To make thick description close to childrens actions and everydaylife To describe the children as social actor – not as ”victims” • Ideas and inspirations from: • Former projects: Inviting children to participate, Giving cameras to children and encouraged them to make photos of what is importent to them, afterwards making photoelicitated interviews • Ontology:New sociology of childhood • Chldren as social actors • Empirical studies:Children as informants and ”experts” about their own life • Earlier studies and projects: Invitation to create photographic pictures – photo-elicitatet interviews

  7. Photograpic fieldnotes and descriptions from a kindergarten for children with special needs - interaction and playing in the couch

  8. Photograpich fieldnotes and descriptions from school & club - watching the others from the distance

  9. Photograpic fieldnotes and descriptions from the bus: a space for symbolic creativity cultural reproduction (music) & meditative action (inner life)

  10. Photograpic fieldnotes and descriptions from school and leisuretime activities - different pracsis at different social arenas

  11. ”Thick description” - has to do with interpretating culture (Clifford Gertz) - aim: to produce a rich and detailed description (Denzin) - cultural analysis is intrinsically incomplete - paradox: the more deeply it goes the less complete it is (even when photograpic fieldnotes are integreted) - it´s a way to work and you need to learn it (Ehn & Löfgren) - 1.question: Is it possible to integrate written text and visual ”text”? - 2.question: Does a written description become ”thicker” if a photo is integrated? Do Photograpic fieldnotes make a description thicker? - ”yes” - and - ”no” - yes – because a photo can show a lot concrete details, which would be difficult or impossible to write about - yes – if a photo is well integrated in the written text – and not loose connected (illustrasion) - no – because it is not every photo that possess qualities and informations enough Conclusion: It is the complementarity and the intertekstual play between photo and text/words that matters Do photographic fieldnotescontribute to ”thick description”?

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