Subject Area: Sociology and Anthropology

The course examines the ways in which we use senses to understand, evaluate and get involved in our environments. What do we hear, see and smell? And what do various odours, images or sounds mean to people in different cultures and across different historical periods. We will theorise the connection between human body and society. The aim is to understand the mediated nature of our thoughts and feelings and how these thoughts and feelings are entangled with value systems, social structures and philosophical assumptions. What are the traditions that have trained us to selectively use, refine or suspend senses. How do new smelling, listening, or viewing traditions emerge and how do they impact on social relations?