Moving boundaries: visual sociology meets border studies

Abstract

This essay aims to raise awareness among visual scholars of the multidisciplinary study of borders as a very promising and varied topic of inquiry, particularly when considering the various ways in which borders and border matters are interpreted and experienced. To this end, several fundamental ideas and problems of this expanding field are addressed, and the potential for a more visual version of border studies in many of their manifestations is elucidated. Border-related visual materials created in a research and teaching context serve to support and illustrate some of the discussed aspects and viewpoints.

DISCLOSURE STATEMENT

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Research Foundation – Flanders: [grant no [G025519N]: ‘Borders and Borderlands Revisited’].

Notes on contributors

Luc Pauwels

Luc Pauwels is Emeritus Professor of Visual Sociology and Anthropology at the University of Antwerp (Faculty of Social Sciences), and President of the ‘Visual Sociology’ Research Committee (RC57) of the International Sociological Association (ISA).