Visual Ethnography Project:
You will conduct a group project of Visual Ethnography a.
Pick a lifestyle/identity within the lecture topics b. Collect related visual
data (take photos, shoot videos, collect Instagram posts, draw maps) c.
Interview 3-5 people about their stories of the visual data (meaning, feeling,
practices, experiences) d. Produce a visual report of your findings and analysis
(emphasize on visual and audio materials)
I have made and completed the slides until the methodology, and
I will need your help on the Discussion parts looking at the findings + Conclusion
part.
The parts that you have to do is the discussion and
conclusion slides with proper explanations.
5. Discussion (Illustrate you analysis via connecting
your findings with the literature) – 2 slides
6. Conclusion – 1 slide
I’d be appreciated if you could have a read through of the PowerPoint
slide that I have shared with you + the findings that I have shared with you to
illustrate our analysis via connecting our findings with the literature (the
ones that I have discussed below.)
And I think in the analysis we can talk about
gentrification, which also then, and you can mention like, well, we can more
explicitly talk about hipsters as well.
Then, Please make a conclusion slide based off our introduction
and analysis.
You can refer to Topic 1: Lifestyle and Identity in Modern
Culture – What and Why? and Topic 8: Hipsters and Lan Kwan Fong: Collectiveness
and Community.
Please refer to all the supporting documents as they are
important.
The literature we have used are: and please feel free to use
more sources.
1.    
Bauman, 1996. From Pilgrim to Tourist – or a
Short History of Identity. In S. Hall & Du Gay, P. eds. Questions of
Cultural Identity. pp.18-36.
2.    
Bauman, Z. 2005. Liquid Life. Cambridge: Polity.
pp.1-14, 15-38.
3.    
Beck, U. and E. Beck-Gernsheim 2002.
Individualization: Institutionalized Individualism and its Social and Political
Consequences. London: Sage. ch.2.
4.    
Bell, D. and Hollows, J. eds. 2006.
Historicizing Lifestyle: Mediating Taste, Consumption and Identity from the
1900s to 1970s. Aldershot, Burlington: Ashgate. ch.1
5.    
Featherstone, F. 2007. Consumer Culture and
Postmodernism (2/e). Los Angeles, Calif.: Sage. ch.3&5. [first edition
1991]
6.    
Giddens, Anthony. 1991. Modernity and
Self-Identity: Self and Society in the Late Modern Age. Cambridge: Polity
Press. pp. 10-27, 70-88.
7.    
Hall, S. 1992. The Question of Cultural
Identity. In S. Hall et al eds. Modernity and its Futures. Cambridge, Polity.
pp.273-324
————————————————————————————————————–
Our background is as followed:
I just explained the growth in the importance of clothing as
an indicator of lifestyle and identity. So are like broader, class topics. And
then in the next slide, I explain how there is kind of tension between
collectiveness and become like homogenizing and the in this like growth of
individualism.
And so we’re kind of trying to see in Hong Kong. Can we find
homogenization and collectivism or is there more, do we not see it at all?
Like, is everyone just kind of, is there too much choice that we’re all
different and individual? and I checked with my tutor and we don’t have to link
it specifically to any of the top, like, we don’t have to explicitly link it to
one of the topics as long as we talk about like consumer culture, conspicuous
consumption, And generally themes that we’ve looked at.
And I think in the analysis we can talk about
gentrification, which also then, and you can mention like, well, we can more
explicitly talk about hipsters as well.
Our methodology is as followed:
1.    
“We did an HK edition of Hans Eijkelboom’s
photography. He is famous for capturing strangers all wearing the same outfit
on the same day in the streets of the Netherlands.
All these pictures were published
in a book he called ‘People of the 21st Century’
So we make a “People of HK in the
21st Century’ version. Photographing outfit repeats on HKU campus and somewhere
else in HK.
From this we can learn about the
impacts of globalization and patterns of homogenization. We might find
different types of outfit repeats in different areas.”
2.    
observation locations —— places young
generations go —— the one’s more concerned with lifestyle curation – hipster
area
a.    
sai ying pun
b.   
HKU campus
c.    
Causewaybay
3.    
If we want to broaden this ethnographic study,
we could do People of Hong Kong in the 21st Century” – we might find
different types of outfit repeats in different areas – which could show how
clothing is a form of ‘conspicuous consumption’ used as an indicator of class
or social status (Eg. Choose three distinct areas of HK, HKU campus versus wan
chai or admiralty station versus Jordan or Mongkok)
Findings:
Sai Ying Pun:
– Interesting
mix of business casual attire, more hipster (trendy) attire (eg. samba shoes,
oversized layering) and more neutral (no distinct aesthetic)  attire. This makes sense given Sai Ying Pun’s
early gentrification status – mix of wealthier, younger  (and foreign) residents and older, local
residents. The more neutral, ‘unstyled’ outfits were primarily worn by older
people. There was a difference between people entering the cafe and those just
walking past – those entering were more ‘trendy’ or visibly had put thought
into their outfit.
Causeway Bay:
Younger
generations with more trendy and casual attires.
HKU –
Centennial Campus:
White and
Black styles clothings styles appeared.
HKU – K.K.Leung
Building
–     
The attire preferences of students, particularly
those with a business background, reflect an intriguing shift towards
semi-formal attire. Traditionally, industries like finance and business have
mandated formal attire, typified by suits, neckties, and leather shoes.
However, contemporary workplaces are witnessing a gradual relaxation of
sartorial norms, allowing for greater individual expression through clothing
choices.
–     
This transition towards semi-formal attire
signifies a departure from the strictures of traditional corporate dress codes.
While individuals still prioritize a polished appearance, there’s a noticeable
inclination towards outfits that blend professionalism with comfort and style.
Polo shirts, for instance, have emerged as a popular choice among younger
demographics, injecting a touch of trendiness into semi-formal wear.
–     
Despite this evolution, it’s worth noting that
the embrace of semi-formal attire has led to a certain level of homogeneity.
Within this broader trend, there’s a tendency for individuals to converge on
similar styles, resulting in a lack of distinctiveness in clothing preferences.
–     
In summary, while the shift towards semi-formal
attire reflects a broader societal trend towards sartorial freedom, it also
underscores the influence of prevailing fashion norms and generational
preferences. As workplaces continue to evolve, it will be intriguing to observe
how individuals navigate the balance between professionalism and personal style
in their attire choices.
In general:
* the white/blue striped blouse was repeated in all areas we
observed (current trend, homogenisation of fashion)
* younger generation more revealing clothes – could this be
a sign of globalisation/western influence
* for sai ying pun – hipster area – gentrifcation – impacts
visible in mixture of ‘trendy’ and neutral (unstyled) outfits
Discussion part:
I’d be appreciated if you could have a read through of our PowerPoint
slides that I have shared with you + the findings that I have shared with you
to illustrate our analysis via connecting our findings with the literature (the
ones that I have discussed above.)
And I think in the analysis we can talk about
gentrification, which also then, and you can mention like, well, we can more
explicitly talk about hipsters as well.
I’ve also attached the course outlines for all topics, and Topic 1 & 8’s lecture notes (most relevant to our project) so that you can refer to them.