Sociology of Art

Sociology of Art provides students with an introduction to the fundamental theories and debates in the sociology of art, using extracts from the core foundational and most influential contemporary writers in the field. The book is divided into five sections exploring key themes in the sociology and social history of art. These are: classical sociological theory and the sociology of art the social production of art the sociology of the artist museums and the social construction of high culture sociology aesthetic form and the specificity of art. With the addition of an introductory essay that not only contextualises the readings within the traditions of sociology and art history, but which also draws fascinating parallels between the origins and development of these two disciplines, this book opens up a productive interdisciplinary dialogue between sociology and art history as well as providing a fascinating introduction to the subject. This book will be essential reading both for students of the sociology of art and for students of art history.