Britain Observed - cameras in *your* home?

Anthropologist About Town

Diary for 18th September to 24th September 2008 TUESDAY 23RD SEPTEMBER - Big Brother or Big Mother? Normally I wouldn't mention reality television on the blog, but the latest offering from Channel 4 may be of slight interest for anthropologists. 'The Family' is a Big Brother-like format, where one ordinary family had cameras installed in their house for several months, and their daily lives were observed over a period of time. Amongst the children in the family is Charlotte, who is studying social anthropology for part of her International Baccalaureate (an alternative to A-levels) -perhaps she will bring some ethnographic insight on how the family functions?! According to this preview article, the programme is also a return to more responsible and in-depth observtional film-making, which means we may learn more about our own society than in most of the other exaggerated material on television. There is a website where you can view more resources, and you should be able to watch previous episodes on 4onDemand - it is broadcast otherwise at 21.00 on Wednesdays.