[ecrea] CFP- International Visual Methods Seminar: Observing and Visualizing Urban Culture

UNIVERSITY OF ANTWERP SUMMER SCHOOL

1st International Visual Methods Seminar:

Observing and Visualizing Urban Culture

25th August - 3rd September 2013, Antwerp, Belgium





CALL FOR PARTICIPATION

The University of Antwerp announces a 10 day program of study and 
practice in visual methods research and teaching in the social and 
cultural sciences. The seminar will primarily focus on conducting visual 
studies in urban contexts but also will address a broad array of more 
general research and teaching issues. Seminar activities have been 
designed (and will be led) by four veteran scholars whose research, 
leadership and teaching have contributed substantially to the 
International Visual Sociology Association, the Society for Visual 
Anthropology, and the ISA Thematic Group on Visual Sociology.

Participants will be fully involved in an interactive learning process 
by taking part in focused introductions to selected issues and 
techniques and engagement in intensive group discussions. Additionally, 
participants will be encouraged to take the methods, techniques and 
concepts that are presented and discussed in the classroom and apply 
them in real life environments. While Antwerp as an urban environment 
will serve as the main field for the research exercises and activities, 
theory and practice will not be limited to any specific ecological or 
geographic location or time frame.

Participants will receive pre-seminar readings on key aspects of visual 
research and will be asked to relate their current work or research 
interests to this literature as a basis for discussion. In addition, 
they will be encouraged to carry out a simple visual assignment in their 
home town prior to attending the seminar which can then be used as a 
personal introduction to the group. During the seminar participants will 
also be encouraged and supported to pursue projects and seminar 
activities that are tied closely to their current and emerging interests.

Participants will need to bring a simple or more advanced digital camera 
and ideally, a laptop computer to the seminar to carry out a number of 
visual exercises and also to design and present the research findings of 
their final project.



Setting and Location

The summer school will take place at the premises of the Faculty of 
Political and Social Sciences located in the heart of Antwerp, only a 
ten minutes' walk from the central train station. Flying either to 
Brussels or Amsterdam is just a short and direct train ride to Antwerp 
Central Station, one of the most beautiful railway stations in the world.

Antwerp is the largest city in Flanders and is situated in the northern 
part of Belgium. It is a historic town by the river Scheldt and a 
bustling trading, artistic and cultural center with an international 
atmosphere. Antwerp is known for its diamond trade and as a city of 
painters like Rubens, Van Dyck, Jordaens and Breughel, as well as 
contemporary artists like Panamarenko and Jan Fabre.

The international travel guide publisher Lonely Planet has added Antwerp 
to its prestigious [2009] list of the world's ten most interesting 
cities. 'Few places offer such an appealing mix of classic and modern 
features.' 'Eclectic art nouveau houses right next to neo-classic villas 
and medieval castles provide a fantastic backdrop to the many bars and 
pavement cafés.' Antwerp is a very walkable and culturally diverse city 
(hosting about 170 different nationalities!) so offering ample 
opportunity to study aspects of material culture or human behavior. 
Moreover, world cities like Paris, London, and Amsterdam are only a few 
hours away by train.



Program Components and Objectives

The seminar will include morning and afternoon sessions consisting of a 
lively combination of informal lectures, demonstrations, structured 
observational exercises, break-out sessions, field trips, local 
exhibitions, mini-projects, individual and small group reviews, 
critiques and discussions. A key activity will be the step-by-step 
development of an individual visual project involving the production, 
processing and presentation of visual data and analysis.

The seminar will pursue these key questions:

* How can visual strategies and methods help illuminate the social 
organization of the city and processes of everyday urban life?

* What roles can 'found' images and researcher-generated images play 
within these strategies and methods?

* What special contributions can be made by visual studies that involve 
direct collaboration with research subjects and community members?

* How can scholars make more effective links between research questions, 
visual data, and different research reporting formats?

A detailed day-by-day program will be published on the dedicated website 
(www.ua.ac.be/VisualMethodsSeminar<http://www.ua.ac.be/VisualMethodsSeminar> 
). It will be contingent on the specific needs and the level of 
expertise of the participants.



Seminar Tutors

The 10-day program of study will be guided by four seasoned visual scholars:

Richard Chalfen is Senior Researcher at the Center on Media and Child 
Health at Boston Children's Hospital. He is also Emeritus Professor of 
Anthropology at Temple University, former Chair of their Department of 
Anthropology and Director of the MA Program in Visual Anthropology. His 
research combines interests in cultural anthropology and visual 
communication and, for the past 20 years, the visual culture of modern 
Japan. At the Center, he focuses on applying participant media research 
methods to studies of childhood chronic illness and examining 
relationships of mobile telephonic media and young people. Publications 
include Snapshot Version of Life (1987), Turning Leaves (1991) and 
Through Navajo Eyes (co-author, 1997), and most recently, 
Photogaffes-Family Snapshots and Social Dilemmas (2012).

John Grady is the William I. Cole Professor of Sociology at Wheaton 
College in Norton, Massachusetts. He is a past president of the 
International Visual Sociology Association (IVSA). He is currently the 
New Media Editor for Visual Studies. His research and teaching interests 
include the study of cities, technology, and social organization. He has 
written extensively on visual sociology in general and on the use of the 
visual mass media as evidence for social and cultural analysis. He has 
produced numerous documentary films including Mission Hill and the 
Miracle of Boston (1979) and Water and the Dream of the Engineers (1983).

Luc Pauwels is a Professor of Visual Culture at the University of 
Antwerp (Department of Communication Studies), Belgium. He is head of 
the Visual Studies and Media Culture Research Centre (ViSMeC) at 
Antwerp, Vice-President of the International Visual Sociology 
Association (IVSA), and Board Member of the Visual Sociology Thematic 
Group of ISA. As a visual sociologist and communication scientist, he 
has written on visual research methodologies, family photography, urban 
culture, multimodal website analysis, and scientific visualization. 
Books include: Visual Cultures of Science (2006, UPNE), The SAGE 
Handbook of Visual Research Methods (2011, together with Eric Margolis) 
and Reframing Visual Sociology (forthcoming, Cambridge University Press).

Jon Wagner is Professor Emeritus in the School of Education at the 
University of California, Davis. His research focuses on children's 
material culture, qualitative and visual research methods, school 
change, and the social and philosophical foundations of education. He is 
a past President of the International Visual Sociology Association and 
was the founding Image Editor of Contexts, the American Sociological 
Association's general interest publication. He authored Misfits and 
Missionaries: a school for black dropouts (1977), and also edited two 
volumes that focus on the intersection of visual studies and social 
research: Images of Information: Still photography in the social 
sciences (1979) and Visual Sociology 14(1 & 2): Seeing Kids' Worlds (1999).



Who Should Attend?

This intensive program of study will be useful for students and faculty 
involved in teaching visual methods in sociology, anthropology, and 
communication as well as for scholars from urban studies, social and 
cultural geography, media and cultural studies, history, criminology, 
and arts related disciplines who want to complement their current 
research approaches with a more visual slant. Specific visual or 
sociological experience is not a pre-requisite though candidates should 
have a keen interest in learning more about the visual exploration of 
society and culture. The seminar will be conducted in English, so 
participants must have a sufficient command of English.



Application Procedure

Applications can be submitted by completing the online registration form 
at 
www.ua.ac.be/VisualMethodsSeminar<http://www.ua.ac.be/VisualMethodsSeminar> 
from January 1st 2013 until April 15th 2013. Participants will be asked 
to submit a concise motivation letter, and a short CV (indicating their 
prior experience and specific interest). Applicants will be notified 
soon after their application whether they have been accepted.



Fees & Costs

Participants can choose for an 'all-in package' (tuition fee: including 
refreshments, lunches, course materials, receptions and social events, 
and basic lodging for 10 nights, breakfast included in student flats 
nearby= 1150 euro) or pick a hotel of their choice and just pay for the 
tuition (800 euro) (see our website for some suggestions).



ECTS Accreditation

Upon successful completion of the seminar participants will obtain a 
course certificate that qualifies for 5 ECTS credit points.



Additional Information?

For administrative and logistic matters, contact the seminar coordinator:

* Piet De Vroede: (piet.devroede /at/ ua.ac.be)<mailto:(piet.devroede /at/ ua.ac.be)> 
/ tel: 0032(0)3 265 52 83

For questions about the content and format of the program, contact the 
seminar director:

* Prof. dr. Luc Pauwels: (luc.pauwels /at/ ua.ac.be)<mailto:(luc.pauwels /at/ ua.ac.be)>
Visit the conference website for regular updates: 
www.ua.ac.be/VisualMethodsSeminar<http://www.ua.ac.be/VisualMethodsSeminar>





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