Monday (21/07) — In a thought-provoking session of the 2025 Summer Course “Beyond Boundaries” hosted by CICP, psychology and culture came under fresh light with a lecture by renowned scholar Dr. Muhammad Zamzam Fauzanafi, M.A, delivered a lecture on the multisensory ethnographic approach in the digital era, particularly in anthropological research. Anthropological studies focus on the social construction of the senses, especially sensory perception in the process of socialization, which is not limited to merely physical or bodily perception. These socially constructed sensory perceptions have implications for the affective dimensions of individuals. In this context, the term affect refers to a general category of emotions and sensations that influence how we perceive and act upon the world, and it should be understood within the framework of social action.
Dr. Zamzam explained that the concepts of affect and feel should be viewed as the individual’s engagement with social constructions or particular objects. In this regard, sensory experiences are inherently multisensory, where our senses are interconnected with two or more subjects or objects simultaneously. For example, when we see food, we can also smell its aroma.
Today, digital media has become embedded in our bodies and forms part of our daily routines. Digital visual ethnography is both part of and actively participates in the digital material sensory environment. Through this approach, we can understand how individuals establish relationships with digital media and how they interact with the materials or content within it.
One study conducted by Dr. Zamzam using a multisensory approach in a flood-prone village revealed that the community utilized various senses to feel and perceive danger. Participants listened to natural sounds such as wind or sea waves and then engaged in discussions to share their perceptions. Emotions such as fear emerged when these natural sounds were perceived as danger cues.The session concluded with an engaging discussion among Summer Course participants. Some examples of indigenous pop culture, such as the phenomenon of ‘sound horeg’, were also explored in terms of how society perceives these cultural elements through acceptance and behavior.
