Jacknis

In Jacknis's article, background information, parameters, procedures, and analysis of Margaret Meade and Gregory Bateson's (as well as their team) study of the Bali people are presented. In their stay in Bali, they both learned the language Balinese and attempted to study the gestures and interpersonal relations between the people, with a focus on child development. What made their study stand out was the usage of a different medium, in this case film and photography. The experience of the extensive research team with photography as well as their education assisted Mead and Bateson in the completion of their project. A main objective of the team was to combine images, film, artifacts, and written records to show their work and studies. This was done by creating 'scenarios'. In their finished project, analysis from many different people was included. The analysis was also as extensive as the fieldwork research. Even though captions were made for photos and such, and context created in notes and photos, it was a step closer to a less biased perspective due to the usage of the camera. However, bias and subjectivity was still present via editing, selection of photos, and grouping of photos on a 'plate'. They tried to limit this by saying if the Bali in the photos were conscience of the camera and if they had posed or not posed. Nonetheless, the utility of film and photography was a huge advancement in the field of anthropology. Jacknis quotes Sol Worth in the end saying "Film is not a copy of the world out there, but someone's statement about the world," which sums up a great point from i received from the article.