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Book review: SARAH PINK, Doing Visual Ethnography: Images, Media and Representation in Research (Second edition). London, Thousand Oaks, New Dehli: SAGE, 2006, 224 pp. ISBN 10 1 4129 2348 4 (pbk) 21.99
Jon Prosser Qualitative Research 2008 8: 267 DOI: 10.1177/14687941080080020607 The online version of this article can be found at: http://qrj.sagepub.com/content/8/2/267

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approach within recognition of the Western scholarly tradition in a way that is extremely useful, informative and highly unfashionable when compared to the more trendy quarters of contemporary social scientific enquiry. Part III considers the different approaches and schools that make up symbolic interactionism, whilst Part IV deals with methods and concepts. Both these sections are excellent and provide an important historical charting of different schools contributions to the symbolic interactionist approach and includes detailed consideration of key concepts such as self , motives, role and social organisation. Part V considers interactionist work on social institutions. Again this is carried out very well indeed. Within the context of the UK the sociology of institututions has become a neglected area of study. Where such work is carried out it often displays a fixation upon Foucaultian (and hence sociologically underdeveloped) accounts of institutions and organizations. The rich, complex and empirical contribution of symbolic interactionism to the study of social institutions should be central to any curriculum in the social sciences. The neglect of the studies discussed in this section of the Handbook within much mainstream British sociology is intellectually indefensible in terms of their relevance and rigour. Part VI examines substantive areas such as deviance, social movements, gender and the life course. Again the sheer quality of interactionist enquiry in relation to many contemporary substantive domains of social science leaps from the pages. In conclusion, the book considers future trends and possibilities. This is a useful section that reflects on the possible trajectories of the tradition; a debate that is being conducted in both the US and UK (Atkinson and Housley, 2003). This is an excellent handbook that provides detailed information and explanation of symbolic interactionism. It is comprehensive, well written, and scholarly and represents a valuable resource for social scientists across the board.
REFERENCES Atkinson, P. and Housley, W. (2003) Interactionism: An Essay in Sociological Amnesia. London: SAGE. William Housley Cardiff University

SARAH PINK, Doing Visual Ethnography: Images, Media and Representation in Research (Second edition). London, Thousand Oaks, New Dehli: SAGE, 2006, 224 pp. ISBN 10 1 4129 2348 4 (pbk) 21.99 The collection and analysis of visual data within qualitative research is no longer a specialist or minority field. Visual ethnography and anthropology are not separate or additional paradigms but part and parcel of contemporary qualitative methodological armoury. Many social phenomena, often in the form of performance or as

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material culture, can only be understood via their intrinsic visual code or through properties respondents bestow on them. Slowly but surely visual approaches are gaining recognition among research community as being integral to and working alongside word and number-based qualitative enquiry. As a result of a general awakening to the ubiquity of imagery constituent in contemporary lives and social settings, significant and far reaching changes are underway. This change in approach has been enhanced through an infusion of visual centric methodological texts since 2000 reflecting innovatory practices in response to challenging and complex research questions. Sarah Pinks Doing Ethnography: Images, Media and Representation in Research draws on anthropology, sociology, cultural studies, and media studies in exploring how the visual may be included in ethnographic research. The audience for this book are critical methodologists from across the social sciences seeking to include a visual dimension to their work as well as photographers, film and video-makers who wish to adopt an ethnographic stance (although its strength is the former rather than the latter). Early on two features are clear. First, this is not a textbook where research methods are examined in isolation and hence clearly not of the cookery book variety. Rather it adopts a broadly reflexive approach to theory generation and methodology whilst illustrating themes using Pinks own research involving photography, video and hypermedia work. Pink holds strong views on what constitutes good visual research and early in the book situates herself by assuming a critical stance. Grady (1996) and Prosser and Schwartz (1998) are viewed as adopting the conservative strategy of scientific sociology, Harpers (1998) adaptation of cultural studies to orthodox visual sociology is more acceptable, whilst a wide range of visual anthropologists, for example Morphy and Banks (1997) are viewed as leading visual methodologists. The criticism that ... much visual sociology remains firmly rooted in existing sociological theory and method (p. 11) is based on the belief that collaboration between researcher/informant and images/words is of pivotal methodological importance is drawn from critical theory, post-feminism and cultural studies and illustrated in the work of contemporary visual anthropologists. Interestingly Pink is now being criticized for limited reflexivity by new wave visual researchers such as Sullivan (2005) a protagonist of art-based inquiry:
Pinks text follows a strategy common to most research in critical and visual cultural inquiry in that it emphasizes the critique and analysis of phenomena, but has very little to say about the creation of new knowledge using visual means that might be taken within a research perspective (p xv).

It is somewhat ironic given that Pink writes for photographers and video makers seeking an understanding of ethnography (p.1), who I assume see themselves as art-based or creative-based enquirers, and reflects Sullivans provocative and narrow evocation of artist as researcher perspective and a misjudgement, in my opinion, of Pinks capacity to reach a diverse audience.

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The book is divided into three parts: Thinking about Visual Research (chapters 1 and 2); Producing Knowledge (Chapters 3, 4, and 5); and Visual Images and Technologies in Ethnographic Representation (chapters 6, 7, and 8). Chapter one provides a brief overview of ethnography and situates images-based research by examining notions of reflexivity and subjectivity, technologies of image production and gender. There are also discussions of the meaning and significance of visual culture. Chapter two opens with a discussion of basic questions such as why use visual methods, before moving on to provide examples of appropriate uses through the work of others and her own research. Pink also reminds the reader that visual technologies have different readings by respondents depending on cultural context. This chapter contains important qualifications to the use of visual methods to orthodox ethnographic treatment of ethics. Throughout the book ethics are discussed in context and situated relative to visual modes and this is important and useful. Chapters 3 and 4 purposely discuss the role of photography and of video in ethnographic research. Once again a critical and reflexive approach is taken especially in relation to contexts, social and interpersonal relationships, and the production of knowledge. I found both the discussion of the ethnographer as photographer, video-maker, and photography as a recording device interesting and constructive. Pink also draws on the use of photography as an aid to developing a more participatory and collaborative visual research and as a mode of culture sensitive elicitation. Chapter 5 tackles the difficult topic of organization, classification and interpretation of visual information. The centrality of word-based ethnography and its hitherto pivotal role in ethnography is questioned. However, the chapter focuses on the process of sense-making relative to the context in which images are created and interpreted. Here the debate centres on the Scientific/realist/academic gaze approach relative to divergent meanings of different audiences and the cultural construction of social life. Chapters 6, 7 and 8 once again challenge the hierarchy of the written word over the visual image. Pink strives to establish multiple combinations and the juxtaposition of words and images such that they complement each other yet recognising the strength and limitations of both modes. Visual representation, both as a realist/scientific version and where subjectivity through their production and polysemic nature are also discussed in some detail. Chapter 8 considers electronic texts and interestingly reflects of contemporary and future practice. The juxtaposition of text, images, technology combined with digital hypermedia are part and parcel of many visual research projects is hence a key indicator to the potential directions of visual research in the future. This is a rapidly evolving area of visual studies and this section of the book was significantly updated in the second edition of the book (an annotated reading list, additions in theory and technology, and general updating of figures and terminology in the second edition have ensured the work maintains its cutting edge ambiance).

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Doing Visual Ethnography, second edition, is an excellent resource for all qualitative methodologists across the social sciences. This book will be particularly useful to students and researchers in sociology, anthropology, geography, media studies and cultural studies, media studies, and those undertaking ethnographic and qualitative research.
REFERENCES Grady, J. (1996) The Scope of Visual Sociology, Visual Sociology 6(2): 2338. Harper, D. (1998) An Argument for Visual Sociology, in J. Prosser (ed.) Image-based Research; A Sourcebook for Qualitative Researchers. London. Falmer Press. Prosser, J. and Schwartz, D. (1998) Photographs Within the Sociological Research Process, in J. Prosser (ed.) Image-based Research; A Sourcebook for Qualitative Researchers. London. Falmer Press. Sullivan, G. (2005) Art Practice as Research: Inquiry in the Visual Arts. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE. Jon Prosser Leeds University

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