‘Before we begin…’: The Role of Introductions in Anthropological Education

Abstract

The classroom – and a first seminar or tutorial in specific – affords a seemingly infinite number of starting points, invitations, orientations, and departures. This report reflects on the introduction as a pedagogical tool of, for, and as ethnography, by building upon the work of Eugenia Zuroski. Zooming in on a graduate course in media ethnography and storytelling, I will sketch how a reconfiguration of introductions can both instill an ethnographic sensibility and foster rapport and solidarity in the classroom. Considering how to start a course can generate a more situated pedagogy for anthropological education.