ABSTRACT
This chapter considers some different aspects of visual phenomena, airing some preliminary theoretical concepts about the nature of seeing and the implicit challenges of using visual sources as evidence. To understand the image and ways of seeing and constructing meaning requires knowledge of the social and cultural context in which imagery is used and in which conventions of representation are developed. Seeing is never innocent; it occurs within already ascribed cultural and political boundaries. Nevertheless, the specificity of images is indispensable in social science research and their power to persuade makes them vital tools for political and commercial rhetoric. The possibility of using images to address the complex ineffable aspects of culture makes visual methods a powerful complement to more traditional approaches.
