State of the Ethics in Visual Anthropology

Abstract

Rooted in anthropologists' long‐standing roles as producers, users, and disseminators of images, this brief article takes the pulse of ethical considerations related to visual media in the discipline. Reflecting on the intent, content, and implications of the Society for Visual Anthropology–sponsored visual ethics discussion sessions at the 2007–9 American Anthropological Association meetings, we seek here to situate these events in the context of recent disciplinary engagements with image‐based responsibilities and to assess their relationship to comparable endeavors in allied fields. Our considerations come together in a discussion of why, how, and to whom visual ethics matter. Ultimately, we put forward a series of tentative proposals for the Society for Visual Anthropology's future navigation of these issues.

The bird dancer and the warrior king: Divergent lived experiences of Tourette syndrome in Bali

“…While visual methods such as film have been used to aid in observation, data collection, and archiving in anthropology more broadly, film has rarely been used in psychological anthropology per se (Lemelson & Tucker, 2015b). With its open identification of participants, the use of visual ethnography as part of data collection and presentation does bring up unique ethical concerns with regard to consent, confidentiality, and potential beneficial and harmful impacts to the participants, discussion of which is beyond the scope of the conversation here but has been addressed by others (Clark, Prosser, & Wiles, 2010; Perry & Marion, 2010), and in depth by co-authors in relation to their research, including the study presented here (Lemelson & Tucker, 2017). Furthermore, our methods go beyond mere recording to incorporate elements of narrative, character development, and storytelling, which fosters a focus on the embodied and intersubjective aspects of the emotional force and lived experience of neuropsychiatric disorder (Lemelson & Tucker, 2015b).…”

The Weaver's House: Ethnography, Translation, and Video in the Highlands of Mindanao

“…Recent ethical guidelines for anthropological research include language that explicitly addresses visual media that “because of their nature, must be carefully used, referenced, and contextualized” (American Anthropological Association ). These include but are not limited to discussions among practitioners of “image ethics” that recommend “visual enskillment of the greater scholarly and general population” (Perry and Marion , 99), as well as general ethical considerations for visual research that are not limited to ethnographic methods (e.g., Cox et al. ; Papademas and the International Visual Sociology Association ).…”

Hope Amidst Horror: Documenting the Effects of the “War On Drugs” Among Female Sex Workers and Their Intimate Partners in Tijuana, Mexico

“…Nonetheless, in deciding which photographs to include here, we carefully considered ongoing ethical debates and negotiations regarding identity politics (Perry and Marion 2010) and voyeurism of people who are poor and vulnerable. In particular, we considered how images can raise consciousness about overlooked and uncomfortable social issues (Farmer 1999) while inadvertently perpetuating marginalization and misinterpretation (Rhodes and Fitzgerald 2006).…”