Acoustemology: the status of sound and research methods in sonic studies

Abstract

When compared with visual studies, sound studies seem to have developed more slowly in the scope of communication sciences. Although aural history is longer than that of pictorial messages, the formal study of acoustic languages has been discreet and sometimes even neglected. The 20th century is usually described as the century of images, of all forms of images. In scientific terms, this is coincident with the strong expansion of theoretical and empirical research on visual communication and visual arts. After the invention of photography, there was great enthusiasm about images in all of its configurations, from print to screen supports (photography, picture postcards, posters, cinema, television, virtual images, cyberspace…). Thus, the consolidation of media and communication studies is intrinsically associated with the increasing interest in what has been recognised as a visual culture. This chapter reflects on the status of sound in contemporary societies and questions the way in which sound can be used as an object of analysis for scientific purposes. The main goal is to raise awareness about the risk of deafness, as a consequence of the so-called civilisation of image and noise. By putting into perspective what Steven Feld refers to as acoustemology, this chapter is also intended to discuss the challenges that sound represents for the social sciences and for communication studies in particular.