My name is Myriam Bourry-Shalabi, and I am an incoming third-year double majoring in History and Anthropology. Throughout my studies, I have developed an interest in sensory anthropology, particularly the ways in which visual methods can describe the lived experiences of historically unrepresented and underrepresented groups.
These interests led me to apply for a research internship at the Institute of Human Development and Well-being (IHDW) at McGill University. As a transdisciplinary unit which addresses the role policy and policymaking can play in human development and well-being, the IHDW leads several research projects on a wide range of critical social issues from gender-based violence and girlhood to Indigenous activism and rights to topics of education and agency in conflict-affected areas. As such, I was drawn to the Institute’s use of participatory arts-based methodologies, particularly with cellphilming (ie, making a short video on a phone or table that addresses a particular social issue or theme). I wanted to gain the opportunity to understand how arts-based practices and participatory methods could gain knowledge about (but mostly knowledge with) at-risk and marginalized populations. My main objective was thus to explore how research institutes can incorporate different arts-based practices on a wide range of issues. I was also interested in the transdisciplinary aspects of the Institute, curious as to how other areas of studies could be drawn together.
I was tasked with creating a cellphilm archive for the IHDW during my internship. This project included retrieving, collecting, organizing, and giving short descriptions of over 200 cellphilms made in the context of seven different research projects. I devised a strategy to archive, analyze, and share the existing research-based cellphilms, primarily with work done in South Africa, Mali, Ethiopia, and Mozambique. I had the opportunity to view cellphilms from 2006 (the first cellphilm project) to today. During my internship, I had the opportunity to meet with two archivists, one from McGill and the other from Concordia, to discuss the importance of digital preservation in research and compare archival methods. Besides the archive itself, I also wrote a piece about the ethical implications of cellphilm archiving and the importance of archiving while researching, while offering suggestions on how to reconceptualize how and why to consent to archive a cellphilm.
One of the main highlights of my internship was firsthand making and producing my own cellphilm during an initial workshop. I found this immensely enriching as it allowed me to understand the Institute's research from a participant's perspective – an experience I kept in mind while archiving the cellphilms. Another accomplishment of my internship was successfully archiving and creating a personalized reference number system for over 100 cellphilms. I look forward to seeing how the cellphilm archive project will evolve!
The main challenge of my internship was finding a good work/life balance and addressing my time management issues. Much of the work I did during my internship required me to develop a goal, a timeline, and a schedule independently. As such, I had to plan how many hours I should be working in a day, or even in a week, ensuring that I had the time for my activities and the summer class I took while also ensuring that I was on track with my work tasks.
Although I did not receive academic credit for my internship at the IHDW, it was an incredibly enriching and formative experience. My research in archiving allowed me to explore potential career paths and academic fields that could combinate my passion for anthropology and history. The Institute and the Participatory Culture Lab (a sister project of the IHDW) are incredibly welcoming and enriching learning environments to work at. My internship allowed me to learn more about leadership in research contexts while working on projects aligned with my personal and academic interests.
Lastly, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Richard, Joel, and Norman King and their families for even making this internship possible, alleviating financial stress. The Hinda Ordower King Award of Merit allowed me to invest in my education while exploring, experiencing, and understanding what I could do in academic research.
