Möglichkeiten und Grenzen eines ikonologischen Ansatzes in der Soziologie / einger. von Katharina Scherke

• VerfasserIn: Scherke, Katharina 1969-
• Place / Publishing House: 1997
• Year of Publication: 1997
• Language: German
• Physical Description: VI, 157 Bl.; Ill.; Zsfassung

eng: In this dissertation the attempt was made to prepare the iconological- method, which had been developed in art history, for sociology. Works of the fine arts were supposed to be a useful source material for sociological studies. Proceeding on the assumption that the development of the fine arts corresponds to the development of society as a whole (this thesis was expressed by different art-theorists, e. g. Guyau, Taine, Hauser or Bourdieu), it was tried to elaborate a practical method to use works of art in sociological studies. The method was designed after the model of Panofsky's iconological interpretation. Preconditions and the main methodological problems of this approach were discussed. Summing up, a number of background-informations about the artist his patrons and the recipients of his work are necessary to prevent a sociologist using art as a source from the accusation of mere speculation. Apart from this requirement the analysis of works of art can be a productive enrichment for sociological studies. Beside the discussion of general problems, the approach was demonstrated on a practical example: The response of the people to the changing life- conditions in early 19th century in Germany was described through an analysis of the works of Caspar David Friedrich and Ludwig Richter.