Different Ways Which Anthropology Can Use Film in Studying Society and Culture

The study of human beings and their social and cultural aspect is a wide concept. This implies that to record all the happenings and preserve them for the next generation, an ideal medium should exist. Since the introduction of films, anthropology has significantly benefited. The aspects of anthropology have been simplified, through compilation of its content, into films that can be reproduced to serve as many audiences as possible. The mode of communication has been affected, an aspect that has promoted the learning of anthropology through a simple and effective medium. The relationship that has been built between anthropology and film; is ideal because of the many benefits it has created. In the process of the relationship between anthropology and films, the relevance of the film to anthropology is apparent. Anthropology is also provided with a medium to benefit from film and the value of film as a resource for the study of society and culture is also evident. Different ways in which anthropology can benefit from the use of film in the study of society and culture also manifest.

Importance of Film to Anthropology 

The film has significantly facilitated the visualizing of the cultural and societal aspect of people to a specific audience. This has been enhanced through observational cinemas (Young, 2003). This is a characteristic that has positively contributed to the accessibility of anthropology resources. Considering that publicized and audio anthropology does not meet the requirements of all audiences, the film has helped anthropology exceed the barrier created by the latter means. In return, it has aided the audience in fully understanding the contents of respective filmed anthropology. The advantages of words and pictures are evident in the comparison of film and written anthropology. With the chronology of “pictures speak louder than words”, filmed anthropology facilitated both the understanding of the audience while at the same time making them feel part of the anthropologists. By making them feel part of the anthropologists, the audiences are able to ask themselves questions that aid their understanding of the respective anthropology film. The films aid anthropology in ensuring that the audience is educated regarding their cultures by providing vital information that could otherwise be missed if they used publicized or rather written anthropology. The film significantly aids audience thoughts by making them feel part of the anthropology team, through questions that linger in their minds, during and even after viewing anthropology film scenes.

Anthropologists have also benefitted from film as a medium of advancing anthropology ideas. Considering that before the introduction of film as a medium of recording events, anthropologists only used a piece of paper and pencil, film substituted the use of pencil and paper. Lack of technology was the main barrier in recording real-time information. Recording of information was specifically important especially accurate and complete aspects of people’s style of living and the whole culture. The introduction of the film therefore positively impacted on the work of anthropologists by making it even easier. Anthropologists benefitted from film documenting, as it enhanced their artistic prowess, by providing an avenue for them to showcase their styles. It completely enhanced their role of informing the audience. Instead of depending on the memory of a single person, film necessitated the recording of real observations of events. While human brains work under various conditions, some information could miss, thus misinforming the audience, an aspect that was improved by film, that recorded real and timely events, facilitating the accuracy of the information. Therefore, anthropologists too benefit from a film as a medium for documenting anthropology information by aiding their showcasing skills. An indication that the film anthropology profited both the general audience and the anthropologist informants themselves.

Ways Anthropology Benefit from the use of Film 

Since the inception of the film in the anthropology field, it has facilitated the continuous growth of anthropology concepts. The film has been used as an effective avenue that continues to advance the knowledge of anthropology (Brigard, 2003). This has been influenced by the ability of the film documentaries to record real events that have been passed on to various generations. An event that was studied and recorded hundreds of years ago can be easily retrieved any time they need to be accessed by the audience. The influence of film in ensuring that information recorded at different time is kept without alteration has enabled to advance the intended knowledge of anthropologists. The bulk information that could otherwise be hard to publicize, has been made available through scenes that are easy to master and incorporate the intended information as a form of learning. Therefore, anthropology has been greatly promoted from the film in a way that has enabled the anthropology intended information to be passed from one generation to the other without significantly changing the original information. This has been enhanced by the ability of films to keep the information as they were first recorded, providing minimal or no chances of alteration.

The film industry presents anthropology with an opportunity to utilize its presence and present critical information to a wider audience. This is an advantage that has been facilitated by the act of the film being more effective than the previous methods of presenting the information. Considering that the current world is fast and steadily moving towards information technology, anthropology can use this evolving aspect to reach as many people as possible. This is in regard to foregoing the targeted audiences and in the process reaching a new audience that could be interested in anthropology but have limited access or information about it. Anthropologists should use the available online film platforms to transmit palatable information in attempts to reach more people who subscribe to the vital information presented by anthropology. This can be formalized by evaluation of the most effective way of recording films, and putting them in online film platforms that in return increase more anthropology audience. The evolving technology presents an opportunity for anthropologists to evaluate the most significant way of reaching people. The information contained in the anthropology recordings can be updated to effectively to meet the visual expectations by the growing audience as a result of film technology.

The Value of Film in Studying Society and Culture 

The film is a valuable resource in studying the contemporary issues of society and culture. This is apparent in its ability to record the exact information concerning a certain society in cultural perspective (Weakland, 2003). The exact information recorded in films is significant in ensuring that different cultures are able to be known by other people, in attempts to learn the existing patterns. This is an aspect that has facilitated the acknowledging of other people’s culture, aiding a peaceful coexistence among different societies. Film in its efforts to explore different cultures in the society has facilitated the need to understand different societies and their cultures, in return, people have been able to be influenced by the fact that humanity exists with different cultural aspects that should be embraced by everyone. This is an indication that film has significantly addressed the aspect of diversity. By exploring different cultures, the film continues to embrace diversity, especially in culture among different society, as the sole difference that should bind societies together. The study of society and culture has been positively impacted by the utilization of the film, in recording and conveying rich content information.

The film has also facilitated the incorporation of various presentation styles by anthropologists enhancing the appealing of the intended information. Considering all the perspectives that are contained in visual anthropology, it has helped to show the audiences what could be impossible through writing or lecture anthropology. Presentation styles such as music are evident in films, unlike written sources. The advantage of film over other means of presenting anthropology is seen in their abilities to show the event exactly with its respective artistic style. While presentation involves many artistic styles, film as visual anthropology is the only medium that surpasses other ancient methods of presenting the information. The styles in return offer the audience an opportunity to fully understand the intended message that the informant wants to express. The uniformity created in the information presented by film offers the audience a chance to personally judge the information at hand. Styles used by various films in anthropology aid audiences in learning, as it is the only platform that events are presented with the right information that can help in future learning. An insinuation that the styles used by films in anthropology create a practical environment for the audience to feel the real experience of the events, while at the same time learning new information regarding what they already know.

Anthropology has an opportunity in technology to fully utilize the filming in the study of society and culture. In consideration of the available opportunities that film has in terms of technology, anthropology can utilize the evolving film technology in order to incorporate new ideas that seek to advance the ideals of anthropology. Abandoning the old ways of gathering and documenting information can be necessitated by evolving technology in the film industry, by identifying opportunities brought by the technology. In turn, anthropology can use it to fill the gaps that have long before been evident, from gathering information, compiling and passing to the audience. This is an aspect that will significantly promote the phase of anthropology. Regarding the existence of many films in the current world, anthropology can utilize film industry to separate their true and real events from fictitious and untrue information based on speculations and imaginations. This will enable anthropologists to study society and culture with much ease compared to previous means. A factor that will increase the use of anthropology by the public as the true reflection of their society and culture.

Anthropology can also utilize film in the study of society and culture by influencing society to disclose vital information regarding their culture. This can be facilitated by anthropologists gathering the positive cultures of the identified society, which can act as the motivation to explore their deep culture. Anthropology can facilitate this by ensuring that the information they gather is related to the strength of the society in question. A film can, therefore, be used to ensure that the information regarding the society is documented in an appropriate manner. It also necessitates accuracy due to firsthand information which is given by the participants from the community which in return aid in avoiding misinformation. The information thereafter can easily be accessed by an interested audience.

Conclusion 

In summary, visual anthropology is an aspect that has been positively impacted by the introduction of the film. The importance of utilizing film as the medium for conveying information in anthropology is an advantage that has seen the public get to visualize various cultural aspects of different people around the world. Anthropologists also benefit from a film documenting, as a result of technology that has replaced the traditional ways of recording and storing information. This has been facilitated by the fact that visual anthropology enables the informant to display their styles in attempts to convey the exact message to the audience. While film aids anthropologists in showcasing artistic styles such as singing and dancing, it also enables them to present actual information without the hindrance of forgetting.

Reference

Brigard, D., E. (2003). Principles of visual anthropology : The history of ethnographic film (3 rd edition). Mouton de Gruyter.

Weakland, J., H. (2003). Principles of visual anthropology: Feature films as cultural documents (3 rd edition). Mouton de Gruyter.

Young, C. (2003). Principles of visual anthropology: Observational cinema (3 rd edition). Mouton de Gruyter.