Abstract:
This thesis is a creative project combining anthropological research and photography in the form of a written text and a photographic essay, together creating a visual ethnography. First is the artist's statement and personal reflection that describes the motivation fueling this thesis as well as an explanation of the theory and methodology used in this thesis to discuss the homelessness situation in Muncie through the eyes of the Muncie Mission as well as the author. The history of anthropology and ethnography in the context of my project as an investigation into the daily life of the residents of the Muncie Mission and its relation to the homeless situation is then discussed. Next is the introduction of the process and methods used while creating the images and conducting the fieldwork. The photographs deliver insight into the Muncie Mission as a solution to the problem of homeless ness and other issues in Muncie, Indiana and providing evidence to support that the mission is more than a soup kitchen, but ultimately the images are to be interpreted by the viewer for their own sake.
