12. Revision & Further Study

Summary: Main point

In this course we have traced a general movement from the person, to kinship, to political organization action and  'influencers', to work in general. Over the weeks, the focus has become generally broader--from self to family to work and politics. But throughout, the emphasis has been on analyzing experiences of researchers who have lived with and studied people using digital technologies. In other words, we have taken an anthropological approach to digital technologies.

The anthropological approach to digital technologies is unique. It is different from the approach taken by a scholar from disciplines such as IT, Gender Studies, Visual Arts, Philosophy or English. If scholars from these fields studied the same topics we have in this course we would expect different (but equally valid) findings. What makes the anthropological approach unique is its method (participant-observation based research) and its approach (holism, relativism, comparison, etc.) and data (primarily qualitative with quantitative elements). Perhaps of more importance is something less tangible. Each discipline as a certain way of thinking and speaking; and anthropology certainly has its own. Whatever it emerges from, anthropology provides insights into certain aspects of digital technologies and does not consider others.

Significance: So what? The more things change, the more they don't?

That being said, what does anthropology tell us about digital technologies? The general picture is that nothing fundamental has changed with the emergence of digital technologies. Sure communication is now mediated digitally, but communication perforce must be mediated by language, spoken and written, in the first instance. Yes, we now have virtual communities, but communities have always been virtual in a sense. Selfies are all the rage now, but self-portraits have been a feature in, for example, Western art for at least half a millennium. We're still humans, we just have the internet now.

'Trolling' is often taken as an example of how terrible we humans have become thanks to the Internet. However, if we are to define trolling here as anonymous, hateful messages sent largely en masse, we can see historical precedent. For instance, from the mid-1800s to the 1940s Vinegar Valentines. These were anonymously sent cards Instead of a romantic message like "Will you be my Valentine," they came printed with insults. These would be sent to neighbors, colleagues, members of the local community and wanted or unwanted romantic partners. 

A Vinegar Valentine from 1870 mocks the recipient,
suggesting he is superficial and would not make a good husband

Does this mean digital technologies have had no effect on us? Not entirely. Anthropologists have detected massive changes brought about by digital technologies, just not in the areas typically identified. These changes relate to the selfhood, the character of migration, the experience of family, the possibilities of political action and so on.

As Horst and Miller note, Anthropologists, like Malinowski, used to study 'tribal' societies (as they were mislabelled). We spent a long time with a group learning their customs and language. We incorrectly assumed that these 'tribal' societies were static and timeless. However, misguided the initial assumptions may have been, the long-term method we used to study our 'tribes' situated us well to study social and cultural change. What this means is that we can study the way technologies first appear (often in the midst 'moral panic' or at least angst about the youth, families and/or the fabric of society) and with careful attention and recording chart how they soon become normalized - just another part of everyday life. Possibly, in 2012, Horst and Miller were making the case for the continued relevance of Anthropology as a discipline - one that has been thoroughly demonstrated in the intervening years,

So, why study digital technologies? We study digital technologies because we study people and people use digital technologies. To put it another way, we study rituals, languages, and symbolic forms because our understanding of the world around us, of each other and of our relationships to each other are mediated by such things. Digital technologies are another way in which we mediate ourselves and our world. We use, shape and are shaped by digital technologies. 

Further Research: What next?

Our intention is that by completing this course you have a grasp of Digital Anthropology suitable for an undergraduate student.

If your interest lies in all things digital, then the next step would be to study different approaches to the digital; you can gain great insights by looking at digital technologies from the standpoint of other disciplines; sociology, psychology, Information Technology, and so on.

For further study specifically in digital anthropology, you could turn to Tom Boellstorff's graduate course syllabus in Digital Anthropology.

As we three (Jo, Moni, & Nick) are all anthropologists, we commend our discipline to you. There are many fascinating areas of human life that we study outside of digital technologies. For instance, at La Trobe Uni we are currently offering some of the following:

• CULTURE AND GLOBALISATION
• TRANSFORMING LOCAL COMMUNITIES 
• ABORIGINAL AUSTRALIA 
• HUMAN AND ANIMAL ANTHROPOLOGY 
• CHILDHOOD, YOUTH & CULTURE 
• CORE ISSUES IN ANTHROPOLOGY
• FOOD AND DRINK 
• ANTHROPOLOGY OF WITCH HUNTS
• CULTURE & ENVIRONMENT
• BODY, MIND & CULTURE 
• CULTURE, HEALTH & HEALING
•  KINSHIP, GENDER & MARRIAGE
•  DOING ANTHROPOLOGY:

Whichever path you take, we wish you well in your further studies.