module specification

In This one-semester module aims to develop students’ appreciation for and understanding of research in relation to visual aspects of culture. The module provides students with methods and conceptual tools for approaching independent research into visual culture, including art, photography, film and television, and using for visual material as a research tool.

The module builds upon students prior knowledge of theories and debates relevant to visual works and materials, and it will encourage and facilitate the development of deeper engagement with, and understanding of  this area of research. The module provides   preparation for dissertation research involving visual culture using visual material within research.

You will develop  knowledge pertinent to the understanding of visual culture within a scholarly context, including:
● understanding a variety of ways in which the visual can be understood
● appreciation of the value of visual material in different academic research contexts
● understanding the benefits and limitations of visual material
● appreciation of issues of visual rhetoric and the politics of images

The practical and intellectual skills gained are all transferrable and highly relevant to future employment in a wide range of areas, and particularly within parts of the cultural industries specifically concerned with visual materials.

The module will introduce students to key ideas relevant to scholarly inquiry into visual cultures and documentary practices. Areas covered will include epistemology, semiotics, discourse analysis, content analysis and reception study. (LO 1,3)

The module will consider the uses of documentary photography,  film and video as a research tools and will introduce students to key ideas and methods in the practice of visual anthropology/sociology and will consider in detail key areas of the digital environment in which visual communication has become the preeminent mode of discourse. (LO 2,4)

Teaching methods include formal lectures, seminar discussion, screenings, library sessions and tutorials.  Students are expected to attend lectures and seminars: in the seminars they will at times work in small groups and be given practice in listening to each other’s contributions and offering constructive criticism, and in chairing and reporting discussion to the plenary seminar group. The teaching and learning strategy aims at encouraging an inclusive and supportive learning environment that respects and values the contributions of individual students, and provides opportunities for individual intellectual development through a variety of learning opportunities.

The module booklet will be available online, as will lecture outlines and some readings. Weblearn or its equivalent will also be used for communication with students individually and as a cohort. In addition to guided reading, students are expected to read and to use variety of sources (primary and secondary) and use seminars and tutorials to raise issues, questions and seek feedback.

A blended learning strategy will be employed to enhance the learning experience, facilitate communication between students and tutors and develop collaboration among students. The Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) will be used as a platform to support online activities including on-line discussions, evaluation of online resources, and access to electronic reading packs. The VLE will also be used to facilitate formative assessment and related feedback, as well as a tool to integrate useful online learning materials provided by research institutions, academic publications, professional organisations and other relevant sources.

At the end of this module, students who actively engage with the reading, practical and theoretical exercises will be able to:

1. Explain and use a range of theoretical frameworks for understanding aspects of visual culture, including art, photography, film and television
2. Understand and explain key issues in the practice of visual anthropology/sociology
3. Design a small research project using visual methods of inquiry
4. Understand the increasing significance of visual methods of communication within the digital domain

https://rl.talis.com/3/londonmet/lists/B89BAEC7-7F01-D351-A77A-9A90B186212C.html?lang=en-GB&login=1

CORE TEXT
Sturken, M and Cartwright, L (2018) Practices of Looking: An Introduction to Visual Culture. Oxford: OUP.

Banks, M. (2015) Visual Methods in Social Research 2nd Edn. London: Sage.
Campany, D. (2018) So Present, So Invisible: Conversations on Photography. Rome: Contrasto.
Campany, D. (2020) On Photographs. London; New York: Thames and Hudson.
Dyer, G. (2021) See/Saw: Looking at Photographs. Edinburgh: Canongate.
Margolis, E. and Pauwels, L. (2011). The Sage Handbook of Visual Research Methods. London: Sage.
Nelson, G. (2017) How to See: Visual Adventures in a World God Never Made. London; New York: Phaidon.
Pauwels, L. (2017) Reframing Visual Social Science: Towards a More Visual Sociology and Anthropology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press

Journals:
Journal of Visual Culture. London: Sage
Visual Studies. London: Routledge
Photography and Culture. London: Routledge.
Philosophy of Photography. Bristol: Intellect Books
British Journal of Photography
European Photography
Aperture

Online Resources:
Photographers’ Gallery: https://thephotographersgallery.org.uk/learn
Victoria and Albert Museum Photography Centre: https://www.vam.ac.uk/collections/photographs