Iconic turn

From Geography

The term iconic turn, also called the pictorial turn refers to the change in science in which icons and pictures became an important element in research. Through studing and analyzing images, scientists try to get new knowledge. It's a turn that started in the last half of the twentieth century and took a flight through the attendance and expansion of the internet. The iconic turn involves, like the other big turns in philosophy and science, new sets of questions, rescaling of perspectives, adopting new research techniques and refocusing attention. It's an interdiciplinary shift in which the science 'meets' with culture, society and history. The iconic turn runs analog to the Linguistic turn.

References

• Alexander, J.C., Bartmanski, D., & Giesen, B. (2012). Iconic power materiality and meaning in social life. Palgrave Macmillan: New York.
• http://www.iconicturn.de

Contributors

• page created by Lars Paardekooper 22 October 2012