Studying Visual Communication

One of the central figures in the development of the study of visual communication, Sol Worth (1922-1977) was a filmmaker and painter before he turned to academic pursuits. He began with the question of how film could be understood and studied as a medium of communication and from there he moved on to the larger and more profound questions about the nature of visual media in general and the role that visual images play in shaping and constructing reality. These papers trace the development of Worth's thinking and research as he outlined the problems and issues that must be faced in the study of visual communication. By drawing upon the disciplines of anthropology, sociology, psychology, and linguistics he went further and deeper than anyone else in setting the intellectual agenda for the field.

The faculty and students of the graduate program in the anthropology of visual communication at Temple University, Philadelphia, PA USA are proud to announce the availability on the web of Sol Worth's seminal book of essays, STUDYING VISUAL COMMUNICATION. Originally published in 1981 by a university press, the book has long been out of print with no publisher willing to reprint. We have taken care to preserve the original pagination so that users can cite the correct pages. Permission to place on the web was granted by the owners of the copyright - Larry Gross and Tobia Worth. It is our intention to place other out-of-print publications which deal with the anthropology of visual communication on the web. Suggestions and offers of assistance are most welcome. The following students are to be acknowledged for the work on this book - Lindsey Powell, Robert Lazarski, Catherine Leonard, Rebekah Sobel, and Angela Whitman.

Jay Ruby (ethnographic@earthlink.net)