Evaluation

Evaluation.

Whilst Visual Sociology is arguably a study that is still in its infancy, its contribution to the understanding of society is undeniable.  It has been argued that the study of the visual “has added unique knowledge to sociology” (Harper 1989: 81).  With this in mind, the project that I produced aimed at improving a sociological understanding of my local area.

When I started this research it was with an eye to producing a project showing the role that Wick Harbour plays in the everyday goings on of the town.  The aim was to compare this with the historical uses and importance of the harbour.  I also opted for a photographic project that would not present any major ethical considerations and was careful to avoid photographing people during the course of photographing the harbour.

After one session of taking photographs, it occurred to me that the project was too vague: I couldn’t take enough photos in one session to reach any conclusions about the role of the harbour within the town; it is too vast a topic.  However, one thing that did interest me a great deal was the signs that are present at the harbour, something that I became more interested in as I revisited the photographs and wrote short comments about them.  The final project was seven photographs of different signs present in the harbour, each one with a brief comment about it. 

There was a certain amount of personal amusement in this decision – after all, if semiotics was the study of signs, then this must be semiotics in its purest form!  Of course, I do realise that this isn’t how it really works, but the idea made me smile.

There was another key reason for choosing to produce the project on signs at the harbour rather than the harbour itself: I thought there was a link between signs and photographs, as they are both things that often provide a link between two people who do not meet, i.e. Person A who takes the photograph and Person B who views the photograph, or Person A who designs the sign and Person B who views the it.  In short, this is a method of encoding and decoding that we rarely stop and think about.  The importance of encoding and decoding photographs is highlighted in the claim that “the snapshot is understood as a symbolic form embedded in a communication process that necessarily includes making (encoding), interpreting (decoding), and a multi-faceted use of pictures” (Chalfen 1998: 215).

I think the most important aspect of signs that comes across from this project is just what a considerable reliance there is on having a shared encoding and decoding understanding, along with the claim that “visual researchers need to understand both the processes of encoding meaning in which he or she has engaged, and informants’ approaches to decoding photographic meaning” (Prosser & Schwartz 1998: 125).  I think that the best example of this is Picture #7, which shows a road sign.  A secure understanding of road signs is required in order to pass a driving test, and children are often taught to understand many of them for the Cycling Proficiency Theory Test.  The sign on this photograph is therefore indicative of the continuing socialisation that goes on throughout life in order to ensure that everyone will understand the intended meaning of a sign, which could otherwise be decoded in different ways.

The decision of how people choose to portray themselves on signs was also interesting.  For example, the red, white and blue flags on Picture #6 can be understood to be a metonym for the Union Jack, but it may also be a metaphor for the United Kingdom itself.  The presence of the Isabella Fortuna on the Wick Heritage Centre sign is used to evoke a connection with history, in particular the history of the local area.  The use of emblems and logos can also be seen as a metaphor for the group or organisation who they represent, or an alternative to their signature.

This project also allowed me to look at the method of advertising used on signs.  I mentioned the use of the Isabella Fortuna on the sign advertising the Heritage Centre, and link that it provides with the past.  It is also another good way of understanding the process of encoding and decoding that is key to the study of semiotics, and highlights the fact that it is also prevalent in advertising.

The fact that this project went through a visible process of development, including entirely altering its main focus, allowed me to explore some of the different facets of Visual Sociology, a few of which have been mentioned here.  I took comfort in the idea that even professional sociologists have at times found a challenge in the fact that “the information encoded in photographs is still far from transparent” (Ball 1998: 137)!   However, overall the project allowed me to make better use of my photographic equipment, as well as encouraging me to look at my local area in a different way.  The prevalence of social constructs in everyday life is perhaps the most significant aspect that I will take from this project.

List of References.

Ball, M.  (1998)  ‘Remarks on Visual Competence as an Integral Part of Ethnographic Fieldwork Practice: The Visual Availability of Culture’.  In Image-based Research: A Sourcebook for Qualitative Researchers ed. by Prosser, J. London: Falmer Press 131 – 147

Chalfen, R.  (1998)  ‘Interpreting Family Photography as Pictorial Communication’.  In Image-based Research: A Sourcebook for Qualitative Researchers ed. by Prosser, J. London: Falmer Press 190 – 208

Harper, D.  (1989)  ‘Visual Sociology: Expanding Sociological Vision’.  In New Technology in Sociology: Practical Applications in Research and Work  ed. by Blank, G. & McCartney, J.  New Brunswick: Transaction Publishers  81 – 98

Prosser, J. & Schwartz, D.  (1998)  ‘Photographs within the Sociological Research Process’.  In Image-based Research: A Sourcebook for Qualitative Researchers ed. by Prosser, J. London: Falmer Press 115 – 130