Review: Jürgen Raab (2008). Visuelle Wissenssoziologie. Theoretische Konzeption und materiale Analysen [Visual Sociology of Knowledge: Theoretical Concepts and Analyses]

Abstract

The book "Visual Sociology of Knowledge: Theoretical Concepts and Analyses" attempts to provide a theoretical foundation for the hermeneutics of images as an interpretative method for audio-visual material, in the tradition of the sociology of knowledge. Jürgen RAAB focuses on his concept of Sehgemeinschaften [communities of seeing], which describes groups who differ in their editing techniques. Drawing on examples of three different visual subcultures, he shows how their different approaches to reality are mirrored in their editing approaches and thus their video products. He comes to the conclusion that seeing and the medialization of seeing are not objective constants, but are historically changeable and socio-structurally formed. At the same time, in some of its chapters (1-3) the book provides an introduction to visual sociology in general. From the visual culture of modernity to the Visual Turn in sociology, scientists specializing in Visual Studies and interested students will find an informative overview. URN: http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs110167