The Visual Dictionary of Sociology

The Visual Dictionary of Sociology Project is a faculty- student project, in partnership with Professor Kathy Liddle of the Sociology department and artist Ujwal Mantha. Funded by the Centre for Teaching and Learning at the University of Toronto Scarborough, it involved the creation of a collection of images that illustrate core sociological concepts. The artist’s skill of conceptualising abstract concepts was further honed through regular consultations with Professor Liddle. These images were then successfully used in a first-year introductory Sociology course to encourage critical engagement with the content amongst the students.

For the artist, the process of creating these images directed him to experiment with symbols and motifs, to create coherent visual narratives. This allowed him to visually depict complex, abstract concepts. The artist was encouraged to imagine the ultimate creation of a visual language that allowed complex, abstract ideas to be conveyed in a way that transcended language and cultural barriers.