Social Visualities – serie

This edited collection seeks to enrich the dialogue about the expansive possibilities of visual sociological research facilitation. Although facilitating ethical research has long been identified within medical research literatures, there is a dearth of distinct perspectives and voices in academic theorizing when it comes to facilitating ethical research. For example, how can researchers learn and incorporate community created approaches to facilitation into their visual research approaches? Although ethics, positionality, and reflexivity remain important components of visual research, the authors argue that the incremental decisions made in real time by research facilitators within the process of visual research is currently under-theorized. This edited collection seeks to discuss how thinking about facilitation in a more critical and nuanced manner, as well as thinking through the kinds of relations, problems and local changes that happen within a project, can help visual sociological researchers move towards more equitable research practices.

This edited collection seeks to enrich the dialogue about the expansive possibilities of visual sociological research facilitation. Although facilitating ethical research has long been identified within medical research literatures, there is a dearth of distinct perspectives and voices in academic theorizing when it comes to facilitating ethical research. For example, how can researchers learn and incorporate community created approaches to facilitation into their visual research approaches? Although ethics, positionality, and reflexivity remain important components of visual research, the authors argue that the incremental decisions made in real time by research facilitators within the process of visual research is currently under-theorized. This edited collection seeks to discuss how thinking about facilitation in a more critical and nuanced manner, as well as thinking through the kinds of relations, problems and local changes that happen within a project, can help visual sociological researchers move towards more equitable research practices.

This book is an exploration of the intellectual resources offered by the hybridisation of sociology and cinema: practicing sociology, or other human sciences, through images and sound. In the age of the image, the book invites sociological research, not only through the discipline's approach, but also through the joint learning of techniques (shooting and sound recording, derushing, editing, etc.) and film writing. Using concrete examples, the authors analyse what it means to think through the image, explain the different phases of making a sociological documentary, and question, through sociological film, the representations of reality and, more specifically, what remains invisible in the social world. The result is a reflective look at the theories and practices presented, to better equip the sociologist-filmmaker.Illustrated with numerous photographs that mark the history of documentary photography and film, the book is intended for both teachers-researchers and students in all disciplines of the humanities and social sciences who practice video and photography or wish to discover their uses. Students in documentary and film schools, as well as students on information and communication programs will also benefit from the book.

This book is an exploration of the intellectual resources offered by the hybridisation of sociology and cinema: practicing sociology, or other human sciences, through images and sound. In the age of the image, the book invites sociological research, not only through the discipline's approach, but also through the joint learning of techniques (shooting and sound recording, derushing, editing, etc.) and film writing. Using concrete examples, the authors analyse what it means to think through the image, explain the different phases of making a sociological documentary, and question, through sociological film, the representations of reality and, more specifically, what remains invisible in the social world. The result is a reflective look at the theories and practices presented, to better equip the sociologist-filmmaker.Illustrated with numerous photographs that mark the history of documentary photography and film, the book is intended for both teachers-researchers and students in all disciplines of the humanities and social sciences who practice video and photography or wish to discover their uses. Students in documentary and film schools, as well as students on information and communication programs will also benefit from the book.

This rich and accessible volume maps current debates within the expanded field of image-based, vertical analysis. With contributions from astronauts, artists, architects, sociologists, urbanists, visual culture theorists, geographers, anthropologists and more the book signals new moves in inter and multidisciplinary research on visual-vertical thinking and related practices within the social sciences, humanities and across the arts. Grounded in socio-visual thinking, Vision and Verticality addresses the emerging shift in the way social scientists move from a sociology of or through images towards a sociology with images. In doing so, this volume illustrates how the sky and atmosphere remain a surprisingly underexplored domain within visual sociology, beyond the framework of drone-related research. Finally, this volume asserts how vertical and atmospherically framed socio-visual analysis is beginning to shape and inform how we see and experience urban spaces, travel, leisure, politics, and environmental challenges through various prisms, including artistic practices, methodological processes, and user-generated content.

This rich and accessible volume maps current debates within the expanded field of image-based, vertical analysis. With contributions from astronauts, artists, architects, sociologists, urbanists, visual culture theorists, geographers, anthropologists and more the book signals new moves in inter and multidisciplinary research on visual-vertical thinking and related practices within the social sciences, humanities and across the arts. Grounded in socio-visual thinking, Vision and Verticality addresses the emerging shift in the way social scientists move from a sociology of or through images towards a sociology with images. In doing so, this volume illustrates how the sky and atmosphere remain a surprisingly underexplored domain within visual sociology, beyond the framework of drone-related research. Finally, this volume asserts how vertical and atmospherically framed socio-visual analysis is beginning to shape and inform how we see and experience urban spaces, travel, leisure, politics, and environmental challenges through various prisms, including artistic practices, methodological processes, and user-generated content.

This book explores the evolving world of drones through a multifaceted lens, revealing their profound impact on society and visual culture. The comprehensive collection bridges the gap between technology and aesthetics, dissecting the transformative role drones play in various domains, from cinema and art to surveillance and environmental sensing. Each chapter, penned by leading scholars, explores the unique ways drones are redefining our visual landscape, whether in capturing unprecedented cinematic shots, aiding in critical rescue missions, or offering new perspectives in artistic endeavours.The book is an essential read for academics, professionals, and enthusiasts alike, and is a key resource for anyone seeking to comprehend the full spectrum of drone capabilities and their implications for the future of visual communication and technology.Chapter 2 is available open access under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License via link.springer.com.

This book explores the evolving world of drones through a multifaceted lens, revealing their profound impact on society and visual culture. The comprehensive collection bridges the gap between technology and aesthetics, dissecting the transformative role drones play in various domains, from cinema and art to surveillance and environmental sensing. Each chapter, penned by leading scholars, explores the unique ways drones are redefining our visual landscape, whether in capturing unprecedented cinematic shots, aiding in critical rescue missions, or offering new perspectives in artistic endeavours.The book is an essential read for academics, professionals, and enthusiasts alike, and is a key resource for anyone seeking to comprehend the full spectrum of drone capabilities and their implications for the future of visual communication and technology.Chapter 2 is available open access under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License via link.springer.com.

This book investigates whether and how drone technology is changing how we see and experience our visual cultures. Knowing more about these visuals is essential to understand how our visual experience of the world is changing and the creative potential these new technological implementations may afford. To do so, the book analyses drone visuals exploring their aesthetics and meanings, the context where they circulate and how they are perceived. The book will therefore be of interest to students and researchers of digital sociology, digital media, mobile media, visual studies, media and communication and journalism.

This edited book showcases how Global South scholars, particularly those from the Philippines, are not merely catching up with but actively reshaping the evolving landscape of visual data collection, production, and analysis. Bringing together multi- and interdisciplinary works, it highlights the use of visual and multisensory data to explore socio-cultural and political realities in the Philippines, including identities, religion, deviance and democratic participation. By adopting a decolonial framework, it reveals the complexity of Philippine visual culture. This volume will be of interest to sociologists, as well as to scholars focusing on research methods, history, and Asian studies.

This book challenges the image-centred orthodoxy in photography studies, shifting attention to the tactile, sonic and material interactions that unfold in darkrooms, commercial labs and manufacturing sites through which photographs emerge. Through a combination of artistic research, sensory ethnography and experimental aesthetics, it examines sites such as Bayeux London and the labs of Polaroid and Fujifilm to reveal the hidden infrastructures and embodied labour that shape photographic production. Filling a critical gap in photographic scholarship, this study invites readers to reframe photography as a multisensory, event-based practice.

This book explores the impact of digital algorithms on visual culture, examining how these technologies influence the creation, circulation, interpretation, and archiving of images. It presents a focused analysis of how algorithms reshape key sociological themes such as power, social relations, labour, racialisation, gender, and representation. Through a combination of case studies and theoretical essays, the book highlights the algorithmic shift within visual sociology, addressing crucial questions: Can algorithms interpret images like humans? How do they affect our understanding of subjectivity, agency, truth, and creativity? With perspectives from multiple geographies and cultural contexts and the analysis of visual phenomena across various digital platforms, this volume is essential for students and scholars in visual sociology, digital sociology, and visual studies. It serves as an accessible, thought-provoking resource for understanding the rapidly evolving relationship between visual culture and technological intervention.