bildestudier

Bildestudier, or image studies, is an interdisciplinary field that examines images and visual culture, including how images are produced, circulated, interpreted, and used in society. It draws on disciplines such as art history, media studies, cultural studies, communication, anthropology, and digital humanities to analyze images across formats like photography, film, television, advertising, digital visuals, and user-generated content.

The field asks questions about representation, meaning, power, and ideology in visual media, as well as how audiences interpret and engage with images. It also considers visual literacy, ethics, and the social and political implications of imagery in areas such as politics, religion, gender, race, and identity. Methods commonly used include visual analysis, semiotics, discourse analysis, content analysis, ethnography, and data-driven or computational approaches to image data.

Bildestudier is typically offered as a standalone degree or as a specialization within related programs such as art history, media studies, communications, or cultural studies. Programs are found in universities in various European countries and beyond, often under labels like Visual Studies, Image Studies, or Visual Culture. Graduates may pursue careers in academia, museums and archives, media organizations, education, cultural policy, or digital industries.

Historically, the field grew from art history and film studies and expanded in the late 20th century to address a wider range of visual phenomena and digital environments. It remains an emerging, evolving discipline with regional variations in emphasis and methodology.