Books by Roman R . Williams
The potential of visual research methods in the sociology of religion is vast, but largely untapp... more The potential of visual research methods in the sociology of religion is vast, but largely untapped. This comes as a surprise, however, given the visual, symbolic, and material nature of religion and spirituality. Evidence of religious faith and practice is materially present in everything from clothing and jewelry to artifacts found in people’s homes and workplaces. Not only is religion’s symbolic and material presence palpable throughout society, it also informs attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors of countless people worldwide. Words-and-numbers approaches to social research, however, sometimes miss important dimensions of religion and spirituality in the contemporary world. Seeing Religion is an invitation to a visual sociology of religion. In this edited volume, I bring together contributors who draw from their current research to discuss the application of visual methods to the study of religion and spirituality. Each chapter stimulates the sociological imagination through examples of research techniques, analytical approaches, and methodological concerns.
Articles by Roman R . Williams
Ciências da Religião: História e Sociedade, 2016
Originally presented as a plenary address at the First International Congress of Religious Studie... more Originally presented as a plenary address at the First International Congress of Religious Studies—Religion: Art and Voices at Mackenzie University (9 November 2016), this article explores the opportunities presented by the prevalence of camera-equipped mobile phones and the resulting visual culture. It is an invitation to scholars of religion to use the tools of visual sociology. The article provides a working definition of visual sociology and situates that definition in its historical context. Three case studies are presented as examples of how visual techniques are being used to research and engage religious organizations and individuals: (1) photo elicitation, (2) photovoice, and (3) a mobile app called SpeakingPhoto. The article closes with a consideration of the benefits of studying religion visually.
A photo essay about religion in Antwerp, Belgium.
Visual research methods—image-based techniques for collecting, analyzing, and explaining data—are... more Visual research methods—image-based techniques for collecting, analyzing, and explaining data—are not mainstream in the social scientific study of religion. Few sociologists employ them, fewer still to study religion. While mainstream qualitative and quantitative methods have much to offer, words and numbers alone may miss important dimensions of religion and spirituality in the contemporary world. This research note provides an overview of work on the most commonly used visual research technique in the sociology of religion: photo elicitation (PE). We frame our essay around four questions. What is visual sociology? What is photo elicitation? How has PE been used in the social scientific study of religion? And how else could this technique be utilized in religious research?
In this study of evangelical Christians from India, China, South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan enrolle... more In this study of evangelical Christians from India, China, South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan enrolled in American colleges and universities, the idea of a calling emerged as an important component of identity and action. A narrative approach that incorporates visual methods was used to collect the stories of 46 interviewees in Boston and two cities in China. Among study participants, 78 percent specifically connect their faith to their professional aspirations; and all participants refer to their future career as a calling (52 percent) and/or part of “God’s plan” (67 percent). Through involvement in conservative Christian congregations, I argue, these women and men are socialized into communities in which the narratives of who they are, what it means to be a Christian, and how their faith relates to the many domains of modern life are part of the conversation. The idea of a calling is carried by these narratives and offers study participants a compelling way to interpret the past, navigate everyday life in the present, and pursue a meaningful future.
In the context of significant religious change, sociologists have been re-thinking both theory an... more In the context of significant religious change, sociologists have been re-thinking both theory and method in these early years of the twenty-first century. As our empirical gaze has expanded from the North Atlantic to the globe, our very concepts of belief and practice and organization have been challenged. Secularization has ceased to be the primary theoretical lens through which we understand religion and society, and a wider range of "religion and..." explorations have emerged. More critically, “lived religion” has joined institutionalized religion as an object of study and as a necessary arena within which new concepts may be developed (McGuire 2008). If “religion” is no longer best understood as a common set of beliefs and institutions in which people participate in neatly-bounded ways, then finding religion requires asking different kinds of questions in different ways. This article begins by suggesting that a narrative frame may be especially useful in understanding lived religion and continues by offering a set of three complementary methods of data gathering that are especially suited to exploring religion in its everyday manifestations. Drawing on our own recent work (Ammerman forthcoming 2013; Williams 2010a), we argue that catching multiple religious narratives in diverse social settings requires fishing with multiple nets.
In this book chapter I take my inspiration from an influential book written by Peter Berger with ... more In this book chapter I take my inspiration from an influential book written by Peter Berger with the same title in 1963. Here I extend the invitation to sociology to a new generation, in my own words, and to a decidedly Christian audience. I do so by organizing my thoughts around the three questions posed above: What is sociology? What does one do with a degree in sociology? And why should Christians study sociology?
Keywords: international agencies; migration
Sociology of Religion, Jan 1, 2010
Despite modernity’s attempt to structure religion out of many social domains, people still make s... more Despite modernity’s attempt to structure religion out of many social domains, people still make space for God—the sacred, spirituality, religion, transcendence, etc.—in their everyday lives. Religion may be less apparent at times, but it is not altogether absent and continues to show up beyond its taken-for-granted boundaries. Drawing from photo elicitation interview materials generated by the Spiritual Narratives in Everyday Life project, I explore the ways in which religion and spirituality intersect with the domains of home, work, and leisure. At first blush, photos of homes, bedrooms, offices, beaches, pets, and gardens do not appear to be enchanted. But when one looks to the stories behind the photos, it becomes evident that the meanings these narratives convey and actions they evoke push back against the social structure as individuals leverage contextual features of everyday life to construct space for God.
Sociology of Religion: Newsletter of the Sociology …, Jan 1, 2009
Engaged Scholarship by Roman R . Williams
Williams, Roman R. 2016. "Engaging Congregations with Photovoice." Boston, MA: Studying
Evaluation is an important, though frequently neglected, component of any program. Some congregat... more Evaluation is an important, though frequently neglected, component of any program. Some congregations use word of mouth feedback and other leaders deliberately seek out participants to assess outcomes through conversations. Others evaluate their programs through questionnaires that ask participants to rate their experience on scales of satisfaction, effectiveness, impact, or program strengths and weaknesses. Quite a few congregations are not in the habit of evaluating their programs. The visual technique known as photo elicitation offers an additional tool for the important task of program evaluation.
Images are everywhere and everyone-from my school-aged children to professionals schooled in digi... more Images are everywhere and everyone-from my school-aged children to professionals schooled in digital media production-is making them. Digital cameras are commonplace, standard equipment in cell phones. These devices record countless photographs and videos, which are disseminated across media sharing platforms such as Flickr, Picasa, Instagram, and YouTube. Chances are more people carried a camera (in the form of a cell phone) to worship services last week than carried a bible or some other sacred text.
Book Reviews by Roman R . Williams
Review of Faith on the Avenue (OUP, 2014) by Katie Day.
Conference Presentations and Bibliographies by Roman R . Williams
Because of their ability to shift the researcher-subject relationship, visual methods hold great ... more Because of their ability to shift the researcher-subject relationship, visual methods hold great potential for engaged scholarship, what Michael Burawoy calls public sociology. Although there are a handful of important examples, much more could be done with visual engagement in the sociology of religion. My current research heads in this direction by developing practical tools for studying and engaging congregations through documentary photography, photo elicitation, and photovoice techniques. After providing an overview of the “Picturing Faith, Strengthening Congregations” study, I discuss the preliminary results of a workshop I am field testing called “Congregational Self-Portraits.” In this workshop, participants used their own photographs (1) to explore their congregation’s personality, (2) to discuss where they fit in the congregation, and (3) to identify needs and/or address concerns. Along with my own observations as the workshop facilitator, I conducted interviews with congregational leaders and workshop participants in an effort to evaluate and improve this technique for engaging congregations visually. This paper explores the lessons learned through trial, error, and listening to participants, and reflects on the unique challenges and opportunities of engaging congregations visually.
This bibliography provides an overview of social scientific work which employs a visual method to... more This bibliography provides an overview of social scientific work which employs a visual method to collect, analyze, or present data on religion. While I do not claim it to be comprehensive, it is close (as of the first quarter of 2015)—at the very least it is the most thorough list currently available. It organizes the literature by the source of the images (found, participant-produced, and researcher-produced) and medium (photographs, video, and other media). A more detailed review of this literature is available in the first chapter of the forthcoming edited volume, Seeing Religion: http://tandf.net/books/details/9781138897809/.
Correspondence regarding additions or corrections to this list is welcomed and should be directed to the author.
This paper was presented at the 2014 annual meeting of the Society for the Scientific Study of Re... more This paper was presented at the 2014 annual meeting of the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion. It is a version of the concluding chapter of Seeing Religion book project, an edited volume I am working on with Routledge UK. The paper/chapter draws together insights from the book project.
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Books by Roman R . Williams
Articles by Roman R . Williams
Engaged Scholarship by Roman R . Williams
Book Reviews by Roman R . Williams
Conference Presentations and Bibliographies by Roman R . Williams
Correspondence regarding additions or corrections to this list is welcomed and should be directed to the author.
Correspondence regarding additions or corrections to this list is welcomed and should be directed to the author.