ABSTRACT
The Introduction places the beginning of visual sociology in my career as emerging from a challenging seven-month trip to India as an undergraduate. Visual sociology emerged in the US during this time of social unrest and protest, as sociology itself was evolving to become more connected to social issues, more reflexive and more grounded as well as theoretically eclectic. The emergence of visual sociology was part of this disciplinary redefinition. The Introduction to the second edition draws on ten years of social and intellectual change, including the expansion of visual sociology beyond Europe and North America, the ongoing development of visual communication technology, also stimulated by the worldwide pandemic, international events such as war, disruption, climate change emergencies and social movements tied to contemporary events. The Introduction also describes what visual sociologists “do,” including making photos and films to study cultures and social issues, developing methods that enhance the collaborative potential of qualitative research, using images as conventional empirical data, studying the visually symbolic dimensions of social existence and teaching in part via the use of images.
