Methods: Exercises

This exercise was designed by EUI intern Nicole Ortegon in 2004, and is very handy for in-class use. Viewers are presented with 16 photos of the U of I. They are asked to look at the photographs ethnographically, prompted by several questions: What seems to be taking place in the picture (i.e. an event, an activity, etc.); What in the scene leads you to your conjectures?; Describe the environment, setting, or ambiance; Consider the people in the picture – What do you observe about them (i.e. in terms of age, attire, etc.)? How do you think the people are related to one another?; and How does your perception of the people and setting relate to your overall understanding and interpretation of the scene? For each photo, viewers can scroll down the page to see how a range of diverse viewers "saw" the photo.

See examples of student work at EUI Live