This chapter in Shadows in the Field is a set of case studies done by Timothy Cooley, Katherine Meizel and Nasir Syed. The three authors discuss the advantages and disadvantages of virtual fieldwork, which is to say fieldwork done via new media (also described as 'hypermedia') as well as more traditional modes of communication, such as the telephone or letter writing. All three come to the conclusion that while this new media helps bring people together, it is by no means a replacement for fieldwork done in a face to face setting. Cooley concludes that "fieldwork should happen wherem usic happens" (page 106). This seems to be the underlying theme of the case study.
At one point in the conclusion, Cooley states "we must consider to what degree the World Wide Web actually brings people closer together, and to what degree distance learning means that we are learning distance." This made me wonder if we are, in fact, distancing ourselves from other cultures by using new technologies to study and learn. How do you define this "distance"? Because two different cultures adopt different technologies, does create more distance (as opposed to the situation where the two are on the same technological level, but just separated by practices, traditions and values)?
Also, will this new availability of virtual fieldwork will entice ethnomusicologists back into a sort of "armchair musicology"?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment