Books On Sociology Of Music, Art, Film, TV and Media

Sociologyindex, Sociology Books 2009

Prime Time Animation: Television Animation and American Culture
Book by Carole A. Stabile (Editor), Mark Harrison (Editor)

The Rise of a Jazz Art World
Book by Paul Lopes

The Cultural Industries
Book by David Hesmondhalgh

Visual Culture
Book by Richard Howells

Cultural Sociology in Practice (21st-Century Sociology) Book by Laura Desfor Edles

Reviews:

Prime Time Animation: Television Animation and American Culture
Book by Carole A. Stabile (Editor), Mark Harrison (Editor)
The contributors explore a series of key issues and questions, including: How do we explain the animation explosion of the
1960s? Why did it take nearly twenty years following the cancellation of The Flintstones for animation to find its feet again as primetime fare? In addressing these questions, as well as many others, essays in the first section examine the relation between earlier, made-for-cinema animated production (such as the Warner Looney Toons shorts) and television-based animation; the role of animation in the economies of broadcast and cable television; and the links between animation production and brand image. Contributors also examine specific programs like The Powerpuff Girls, Daria, The Simpsons, Ren and Stimpy and South Park from the perspective of fans, exploring fan cybercommunities, investigating how ideas of "class" and "taste" apply to recent TV animation, and addressing themes such as irony, alienation, and representations of the family.

The Rise of a Jazz Art World
Book by Paul Lopes
"Lopes has written a richly informative and highly readable book that is a welcome addition to the growing number of academic studies that engage with musical styles as the lifeblood of 'scenes' -- living cultures producing a verve and commitment that remain hard to fathom for those on the 'outside.'" American Journal of Sociology
The origins of jazz were in the barrelhouses of New Orleans and the speakeasies of Chicago. By the nineteen fifties, a musical renaissance transformed jazz into a high art form. Paul Lopes shows how the rise of a jazz art world was a unique movement--a socially diverse community of musicians, critics, collectors, producers, and enthusiasts that struggled in various ways against
cultural orthodoxy in America. This accessible, interdisciplinary book will be of great interest to scholars and students of sociology, cultural studies, American studies, African-American studies, and jazz studies.

The Cultural Industries
Book by David Hesmondhalgh
"The Cultural Industries is an indispensable guide to the main forces at work in the production of media today. This lucid, careful and sophisticated book orders the entire field, for the US as well as Europe, and at one stroke becomes the state of the art, the standard."
-- Todd Gitlin, Columbia University
What are the "cultural industries"? What role do they play in contemporary society? How are they changing?
The Cultural Industries combines a political economy approach with the best aspects of cultural studies, sociology,
communication studies and social theory to provide an overview of the key debates surrounding cultural production.
Considers both the entertainment and the information sectors. Combines analysis of the contemporary scene with a long-range historical perspective and draws on an range of examples from North America, the UK, Europe and elsewhere.
Hesmondhalgh's clearly written, thoroughly argued overview of political-economic, organizational, technological and cultural change represents an important intervention in research on cultural production, but at the same time provides students with an
accessible, indispensable introduction to the area.

Visual Culture
Book by Richard Howells
Visual Culture is an introductory textbook book on visual literacy, exploring how meaning is both made and transmitted in an increasingly visual world. It is designed to introduce students to the analysis of all kinds of visual texts, whether drawings, paintings, photographs, films, advertisements, television programs or new media forms. The book is illustrated with copious
examples that range from medieval painting to contemporary record covers and is written in a lively and engaging style, avoiding unnecessary jargon.
The first part of the book is concerned with differing theoretical approaches to visual analysis, and includes chapters on
iconology, form, art history, ideology, semiotics and hermeneutics. The merits and disadvantages of each are discussed, and there is a special focus on one seminal writer for each topic.
The second part shifts from a theoretical to a medium-based approach and comprises chapters on fine art, photography, film, television and new media. These investigate the complex relationship between reality and visual representation.
As a whole, this textbook brings seemingly diverse approaches together under one roof while ultimately arguing for a polysemic approach to visual analysis. Each chapter concludes with a section of recommendations for further study.
Visual Culture provides an ideal introduction for students taking courses in visual culture and communication in a wide range of disciplines, including media and cultural studies, sociology, art history and design.

Cultural Sociology in Practice (21st-Century Sociology) Book by Laura Desfor Edles
Cultural Sociology in Practice is a concise introduction to the burgeoning new field of cultural sociology. Using straightforward language and popular examples, the book sorts out the various definitions of the word "culture" in a sociological context. After breaking down the term "culture" into three separate meanings - culture as artistic activity, as a way of life, and as a pattern of shared symbols - the book then applies these various meanings to cultural events, artifacts, and practices.
Part I demonstrates how culture and society intersect through religion, ideology, the media, pop culture, and race. Part II offers a primer on cultural methodology. It describes how the tools of naturalistic inquiry, discourse analysis, and history provide data for researchers and encourages students to carry out their own research. Using contemporary examples and a concise format, the
text also includes lists of key terms and study questions, providing a useful overview for students grappling with new cultural concepts for the first time. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Synopsis
Cultural Sociology in Practice is a concise introduction to the burgeoning new field of cultural sociology. Using straightforward language and popular examples, the book sorts out various cultural concepts and types of cultural analysis. Part I outlines the origins and theoretical premises of cultural sociology, and it demonstrates culturalist approaches to religion, the media/popular culture, and race/ethnicity. Part II explains exciting new culturalist methods, focusing on ethnography, discourse analysis, audience/reception research, and cultural history. The text also includes lists of key terms and study questions, providing a useful overview for students grappling with cultural concepts for the first time.