The Live Art of Sociology

Description

The Live Art of Sociology attends to the importance of ‘the live’ in contemporary social and political life. Taking existing work in live sociology as a starting point, this book considers some of its aspirations through unique empirical investigations. Queer and feminist theory and methods are also employed in exploring the challenges of researching live experiences and temporalities. With case study examples ranging from the work of live body artists to experiments in curating sociological research, Lambert successfully demonstrates the diverse ways in which art can provide the aesthetic and affective conditions for social and political disruption. By emphasising the political importance of how people, knowledges, materials, emotions and senses are configured and reconfigured, The Live Art of Sociology asserts a creative and vital role for sociology in not only representing but also generating social realities and political possibilities. Putting aesthetics at the heart of contemporary sociology and making a strong case for a renewed sociological aesthetics, this volume will appeal to undergraduate and postgraduate students as well as postdoctoral researchers and academics interested in fields such as Sociology, Cultural Studies, Art and Visual Culture, Gender and Sexuality Studies and Leisure Studies. It will also be of interest to creative practitioners. Cover Half Title Book Title Copyright Dedication Table of Contents List of figures Acknowledgements 1 Introduction: political aesthetics, cultural studies, queer and reparative theory and method From cultural studies to cultural value The future of sociology Queering live sociology Towards a reparative sociology Some notes on method/ology Beyond narrow and northern epistemologies Outline of book Notes References 2 Politics and praxis of live art Introduction Political aesthetics Live art as a minor art The political work of live art The politics of participation and presence Fierce festival: ‘Live Art: Collision: Hyperlocal: Supernow’ Festivals Conclusions Notes References 3 Live sociology: generative and uncertain methodologies in action Introduction: a shift to the live Live sociological methods: space, time, scale Curating sociological knowledge Re/presenting live practice Representational failure in Fun with Cancer Patients Un/knowability A live sociology of death The Live Art Research Hub Fun with Cancer Patients wordweave Conclusions Notes References 4 Fierce pedagogies: producing dissensual knowledges and subjects Introduction Fierce pedagogies Pedagogic art: the epistemologies of social practice The Haircut Before the Party Archive and engagement with Vincent Dance Theatre Queer Salon: re-inventing pedagogies of gender and sexuality Faabulous knowledge production: live art interventions with/in the academy Conclusions Notes References 5 Bodies and embodied encounters in live practice Introduction Embodied theory Embodied activism and body art: bodies as canvas The politics of ethical spectatorship Cassils: Inextinguishable Fire Beyond the queer body? Fighting pain with pain, sickness with sickness: Ron Athey and Martin O’Brien Extreme audiences Audience bodies: touching encounters Conclusion: knowing bodies Notes References 6 The im/possibilities of live time Introduction: the temporalities of live practice Queer temporalities Track: framing the present Mette Edvardsen: Time has fallen asleep in the afternoon sunshine Monica Ross: Acts of Memory Archive and documentation Conclusions: undone by theory? Notes References 7 Conclusions: towards a hopeful art Researching to the brink The political ambitions of live sociology: becoming aesthetic and becoming minor Pedagogies of live sociology Live art and experimental research: methodological reflections Embodying the art of live sociology Live temporalities: becoming anachronistic and askance Towards a cartography of live sociology A hopeful art Note References Index