觀看的層次－視覺文化、視覺社會學與視覺方法批判

受到1960年代文化研究及媒體影像理論的影響，近十幾年以來西方學界興起一股視覺文化探究風潮。視覺文化之特色有三：跨學科界域、奠基於後現代主義、關注日常生活(Mirzoeff, 2004)。根據Elkins (2003)的調查，學界對其定義、理念、方法論至今仍有相當大的保留與歧見。視覺文化所提出的「視覺性」(visuality)突破了過往感官與美學的指涉，將觀看關係注入權力與論述的元素，進入批判與反身性的範疇（劉紀蕙，2002，2006；吳瓊，2005；Bal, 2005）。這是視覺文化研究的核心價值之一。雖然探討的議題和範圍都和社會形構有關，視覺文化除了運用部分社會學概念外，整體而言社會學並沒有扮演更爲積極的角色。社會學運用視覺研究社會現象並不晚於當今的視覺文化。值得注意的是，社會研究方法中的「觀察」建立了科學資料的基礎，和視覺分析的關係最爲密切。而其觀看（作爲一種分析的取徑）的問題性，和視覺文化研究所探討的視覺的社會形構問題相遇，是社會學和視覺文化整合的可能關鍵點。本文將從「層次閱讀」的角度剖析觀察的意義與批判其意涵，藉此探索其銜接視覺文化批判態度的可能性。

關鍵字

視覺文化；視覺社會學；觀察；視覺性；後現代主義

並列摘要

Influenced by culture studies and image theories, visual culture (or visual culture studies) emerges in the 1990s. There are three characteristics in visual culture: cross disciplines, postmodernism basis, and daily-life concern. ”Visuality” is one of key words coined by visual culture. The concept invites power and discourse into the traditional visual discussion, entering into a critical dimension and societal perspective. In the development of visual culture, theory of sociology does not play a positive role, though it is often mentioned. Chris Jenks conceives sociology doest not involve profoundly in the visual and modernity, comparing with other issues. However, it is a misunderstanding. Exploring social issues through visual images is called ”visual sociology.” Current Sociology (1986) put that ”visual sociology” is about as old as sociology itself.” Moreover, the fundamental position of ”observation” in social research method is closely connected to visual analysis. The problematic of observation therefore is perhaps the meeting point of visual culture studies and visual sociology. This paper will critically examine ”stratum of seeing” in social observation and try to find out the possible ”visual encounter” between the two fields.