There has been an explosion of interest in visual culture - coming largely from work in sociology, anthropology and cultural studies and while there are a number of practical and technical manuals available for film, photographic and other visual media, there is a dearth of writing that combines both the practical and the technical. This book redresses this with a balanced approach that is written primarily for students in the social sciences who wish to use visual materials in the course of empirical, qualitative field research. It should also be of interest to experienced researchers who wish to expand their methodological approaches.
Visual Research Methods is a guide for students, researchers and teachers in the social sciences who wish to explore and actively use a visual dimension in their research. This book offers an integrated approach to doing visual research, showing the potential for building convincing case studies using a mix of visual forms including: archive images, media, maps, objects, buildings, and video interviews. Examples of the visual construction of ‘place’, social identity and trends of analysis are given in the first section of the book, whilst the essays in the second section highlight the astonishing creativity and innovation of four visual researchers. Each detailed example serves as a touchstone of quality and analysis in research, with themes ranging from the ethnography of a Venezuelan cult goddess to the forensic photography of the skeleton of a fourteenth-century nobleman. They give a keen sense of the motives, philosophies and benefits of using visual research methods. This volume will be of practical interest to those embarking on visual research as well as more experienced researchers. Key concerns include the power of images and their changing significance in a world of cross – mediation, techniques of analysis and ethical issues, and how to unlock the potential of visual data for research.
The use of images, particularly photography, has been steadily gaining popularity in academia, but there has not yet been a book that deals with the act and process of photo-taking in the field. Drawing upon 21 years of photographic experience and sociological research, Terence Heng’s immersive and narrative style will: introduce photography as a qualitative method; discuss the intricacies of, challenges in and opportunities for using a camera in the field; explore common themes and topics in social science research, including photographing rituals, space, people and objects; advise on navigating the always evolving technological landscapes of traditional, digital and mobile photography. Visual Methods in the Field: Photography for the Social Sciences is a photography guide written for researchers by a researcher. Using in-depth ethnographic case studies from research done in various urban environments, this book will act as a crucial bridge for students in geography, sociology, education, media studies and other social sciences to incorporate photography into their research repertoire.
This book captures the state of the art in visual research. Margolis and Pauwels have brought together, in one volume, a unique survey of the field of visual research that will be essential reading for scholars and students across the social sciences, arts and humanities. The SAGE Handbook of Visual Research Methods encompasses the breadth and depth of the field, and points the way to future research possibilities. It illustrates ′cutting edge′ as well as long-standing and recognized practices. This book is not only ′about′ research, it is also an example of the way that the visual can be incorporated into data collection and the presentation of research findings. Chapters describe a methodology or analytical framework, its strengths and limitations, possible fields of application and practical guidelines on how to apply the method or technique. The Handbook is organized into seven main sections: - Framing the Field of Visual Research - Producing Visual Data and Insight - Participatory and Subject-Centered Approaches - Analytical Frameworks and Approaches - Visualization Technologies and Practices - Moving Beyond the Visual - Options and Issues for Using and Presenting Visual Research. Eric Margolis is an Associate Professor in the Hugh Downs School of Human Communication. He is President of the International Visual Sociology Association. Luc Pauwels is Professor of Visual Culture at the University of Antwerp. He is Chair of the Visual Communication Studies Division of the ICA and Vice-President of the International Visual Sociology Association (IVSA).
Visual Research Methods: Image, Society, and Representation addresses the growing question in social research of how to critically incorporate visual data and visual methodologies in ways that expand and enhance the researcher′s repertoire for understanding and teaching about the social world. Editor Gregory C. Stanczak crisscrosses disciplines in ways that highlight the multiple manifestations of this newer interdisciplinary trend. Beyond methodological interests, the rich diversity of subject matter provides this volume′s pedagogical punch. Key Features Provides a valuable framework for classroom use and comparative analysis: Organized around three themes in visual research—methodology, epistemological reflection, and theoretical contribution of images Addresses a wide range of topics: Original and reprinted works by leading qualitative researchers from various fields, including Sociology, Education, Political Science, Religion, History, and Gender Studies Offers a roadmap to common issues and topics: Reader′s guide connects different chapters to different conceptual themes and methodological approaches Presents vivid visual data: Methodologies go beyond photography alone and include video and virtual research Intended Audience: This is an excellent text for advanced undergraduate and graduate courses in social research across disciplines such as Sociology, Education, Cultural Studies, Anthropology, American Studies, Communications, Gender Studies, and Political Science.Vi
This book demonstrates how data from participatory visual methods can take people and communities beyond ideological engagement, initiating new conversations and changing perspectives, policy debates, and policy development. These methods include, for example, photo-voice, participatory video, drawing/mapping, and digital storytelling. Organised around a series of tools that have been used across health, education, environmental, and sociological research, Participatory Visual Methodologies illustrates how to maintain participant engagement in decision-making, navigate critical issues around ethics, track policies, and maximize the potential of longitudinal studies. Tools discussed include: Pedagogical screenings Digital dialogue devices Upcycling and ‘speaking back’ interventions Participant-led policy briefs An authoritative and accessible guide to how participatory visual methods and arts-based methods can influence social change, this book will help any postgraduate researcher looking to contribute to policy dialogue.
Teaching Visual Methods in the Social Sciences presents a practical and theoretical framework for those wanting to introduce visual methods into their curricula. Drawing on the expertise of contributors from across the social sciences, the book provides a comprehensive introduction to visual methodology, learning and teaching theory, and the ethical considerations involved. Divided into three parts, the book begins with an overview of how visual methods have been used in academic research, and how this can be applied to teaching and pedagogy. It then goes on to introduce different methods, including photography, film and drawing, describing how they can be used in various locations. Finally, the book pulls everything together, advocating the wider use of teaching visual methods in further and higher education curricula across the social science subjects. The book features a plethora of examples, as well as practical resources for FE and HE teachers, making it an essential companion for anyone interested in utilising visual methods in their teaching.
Sarah Pink draws together in a single volume a set of key writings on advances and explorations that sit at the innovative edge of theory and practice in contemporary visual research. Advances in Visual Methodology presents a critical engagement with interdisciplinary practice in the field of visual research and representation, examining the development of visual methodology as a field of interdisciplinary and post-disciplinary practice that spans scholarly and applied concerns. The book explores how new practice-based, theoretical and methodological engagements are developing and emerging in research practice; the impact new approaches are having on the types of knowledge visual research produces and critiques; the ways visual research intersect with new media; and the implications of this for social and cultural research, scholarship and intervention.
This comprehensive volume provides an unprecedented illustration of the potential for visual methods in psychology. Each chapter explores the set of theoretical, methodological, as well as ethical and analytical issues that shape the ways in which visual qualitative research is conducted in psychology. Using a variety of forms of visual data, including photography, documentary film-making, drawing, internet media, model making and collages, each author endeavors to broaden the scope for understanding experience and subjectivity, using visual qualitative methods. The contributors to this volume work within a variety of traditions including narrative psychology, personal construct theory, discursive psychology and conversation analysis, phenomenology and psychoanalysis. Each addresses how a particular visual approach has contributed to existing social and psychological theory in their topic area, and clearly outline how they carried out their specific research project. The contributors draw on qualitative sources of verbal data, such as spoken interview, diaries and naturalistic conversation alongside their use of visual material. This book provides a unique insight into the potential for combining methods in order to create new multi-modal methodologies, and it presents and analyses these with psychology specific questions in mind. The range of topics covered includes sexuality, identity, group processes, child development, forensic psychology, race, and gender, making this volume a vital contribution to psychology, sociology and gender studies.
Teaching Visual Methods in the Social Sciences presents a practical and theoretical framework for those wanting to introduce visual methods into their curricula. Drawing on the expertise of contributors from across the social sciences, the book provides a comprehensive introduction to visual methodology, learning and teaching theory, and the ethical considerations involved. Divided into three parts, the book begins with an overview of how visual methods have been used in academic research, and how this can be applied to teaching and pedagogy. It then goes on to introduce different methods, including photography, film and drawing, describing how they can be used in various locations. Finally, the book pulls everything together, advocating the wider use of teaching visual methods in further and higher education curricula across the social science subjects. The book features a plethora of examples, as well as practical resources for FE and HE teachers, making it an essential companion for anyone interested in utilising visual methods in their teaching.
