Reflections on the use of emerging technologies as a tool for ethnographic research

Professor Paolo Favero

Reflections on the use of emerging technologies as a tool for ethnographic research

12th June 2017, 10.00 – 11.30, Sala Postgrado 2 (157 B) Faculty of Psychology and Education

Abstract:

Based on lecturer’s own experience in teaching i?docs within a variety of different academic setting the present lecture sets off with the idea of exploring the potentiality of this audio?visual form as a tool for thinking about, exploring and understanding the world that surrounds us. It proposes therefore a shift away from conventional reflections on the potentiality of i?docs as communication tools exploring instead the extent to which i?docs can be considered as proper tools for conducting qualitative scientific research. In his presentation the lecturer will pursue a set of different interrelated questions: ? To what extent can i?docs be used to instigate the production of original research data? ? What sort of data can they actually generate? ? To what extent can we look at i?docs as an avant?garde form of participatory research? ? How do i?docs dialogue with other forms of visual and non?visual empirical research? ? Can i?docs constitute an opening to the senses, and hence a phenomenological research technique? The lecturer will offer concrete examples on how to engage with i?docs based on three main teaching experiences in Portugal, Belgium and India (the diversity of examples will help him also to critically assess the transcultural potential of i?docs). He will also address the integration of other emerging technologies (such as wearable cameras).