Art and Society

You will be introduced to key themes and authors in the sociology of art, classical and contemporary. Each session is enshrined in a thematic approach that highlights crucial issues, such as, for example: is art about beauty? What is an artist? Is art beyond society? Should art be political? The module provides both an outline of theoretical approaches and an overview of major results and trends in empirical research; key case studies illustrate and interrogate the thematic core of each lecture.

In this module you will learn:

• To introduce you to key investigations on the relationship of art and society

• To provide a map of the historical development and contemporary debates in sociological theory and research on the art

• develop a critical understanding of key classical and contemporary approaches in the sociology of art

• appreciate the variety of key issues in the sociology of art and how they have been conceptualized differently within diverse traditions of sociological analysis

• be able to understand and engage with current debates in the theoretical reflection on art and aesthetics

• be able to understand and engage with current debates and trends in sociological research on the arts