Sunday, 15 April 2007

Visual Methods

Visual Methods are ways to interpret visual materials (Rose, 2001: 1), however, there is a lot of confusion about 'the visual' itself. As W.J.T. Mitchell (1994: 13) states in his book on Picture Theory, "we still do not know exactly what pictures are, what their relation to language is, how they operate on observers and on ther world, how their history is to be understood, and what is to be done with or about them".

Rose argues that interpreting the visual should be just interpretation, not the discovery of their truth. Hall (1997) suggests that it is therefore important to justify the interpretation and analysis of images. A researcher must have an explicit methodology for doing it. Rose provides 'critical methods of visual culture', such as in line with CDA.

  • Mitchell, W.J.T. (1994) Picture Theory: Essays on Verbal and Visual Representation, Chicago: Chicago University Press.
  • Hall E. (1994) The Arnolfini Betrothal, Berkekey: Calfornia University Press.
  • Rose, G. (2001) Visual Methodologies, London: Sage.

2 comments:

Celeste said...

Hi Kay! A fellow PhD blogger!! I was feeling a bit lonely in blogland but I like to put down my thoughts - it gives me a type of diary too for when I need to complete my progress reports. I always think I am travelling along quite slowly but when I look back I realise how far I have come.

Sounds like you are doing much better than me if you only started last year and have submitted your confirmation document already!! Well done!

きら(Kay) said...

Hi Celeste! Thanks for your comment. I know your feeling because I also put down my thoughts that are required by my supervisors. They say this process is very important for qualitative reseachers. I also know this type of blogging is sometimes lonely and boring...

Yes, I have done mine. Thanks. I am, however, never be better than you because we are almost at the same stage of the "journey" (I like it!). Since we are qualitative researchers, the importance is quality, not quantifiable measures! LOL.