This course explores the anthropology and sociology of the image from a number of perspectives. It demonstrates how images are used to construct and disseminate meanings in all societies for many purposes ranging from the religious through the political to commercial reasons. A particular emphasis will be placed on the use of images for symbolic purposes, how they are circulated and decoded. Attention will also be paid to areas often overlooked in traditional courses dealing with imagery, such as the streetscape and popular imagery on the Bangladeshi ricksha. Students will be taught how to document, analyse and interpret a range of image systems.
