Beyond Text: Multimodal Ethnography as Pedagogy, Method, and Output

Abstract (English)

This paper explores the potential of multimodal ethnography in higher education, arguing for its value not only as a research tool but also as a means of encouraging students to critically engage with the politics of knowledge production and dissemination. Drawing on multimodal teaching in the classroom and in a new multimodal laboratory at Purdue University, the paper demonstrates how visual, audio, filmic, and other sensory forms of ethnographic practice compel students to move beyond text-based conventions, interrogating the assumptions underlying traditional modes of data collection and representation. By producing their own multimodal projects (ranging from photo essays and soundscapes to video narratives), students are encouraged to experiment with diverse ways of seeing, sensing, and storytelling within and beyond traditional anthropological works. The paper ultimately argues that multimodal practices foster deep reflexivity and creativity while challenging dominant academic norms around authorship, authority, and audience.