Sensory Studies Manifesto

The senses are made, not given. This revolutionary realization has come as of late to inform research across the social sciences and humanities, and is currently inspiring groundbreaking experimentation in the world of art and design, where the focus is now on mixing and manipulating the senses.The Sensory Studies Manifesto tracks these transformations and opens multiple lines of investigation into the diverse ways in which human beings sense and make sense of the world. This unique volume treats the human sensorium as a dynamic whole that is best approached from historical, anthropological, geographic, and sociological perspectives. In doing so, it has altered our understanding of sense perception by directing attention to the sociality of sensation and the cultural mediation of sense experience and expression.David Howes challenges the assumptions of mainstream Western psychology by foregrounding the agency, interactivity, creativity, and wisdom of the senses as shaped by culture. The Sensory Studies Manifesto sets the stage for a radical reorientation of research in the human sciences and artistic practice.

"The Sensory Studies Manifesto is the capstone of David Howes' brilliant work in sensory studies. In this visionary work, Howes charts the evolution of sensory studies and demonstrates the centrality of the sensorial revolution for future studies in the arts and human sciences." - Paul Stoller, Professor of Anthropology, West Chester University and author of Sensuous Scholarship, "A titan in the field of sensory ethnography, David Howes has long schooled us on the fantastic sensorial diversity among humans. This book is essential reading for all who seek to understand the complexity of human sensory portals, always leveraged by culture, politics, and the futures we seek." - Caroline A. Jones, Professor of Art History, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, editor of Sensorium, and author of Eyesight Alone, "Anyone with an interest in the cultural presence of the senses will be indebted already to David Howes. In The Sensory Studies Manifesto, he reveals the breadth of that presence in geography, neurobiology, design, museology, and cultural anthropology - all ranging across the globe. Howes demonstrates how much new developments in these disciplines and many others owe to sensory studies. And there is more to come: the sensorial revolution is only gaining momentum." - Richard Newhauser, Professor of English, Arizona State University, "For more than three decades, David Howes has led the sensory studies charge through essays, books, conferences, websites, and journal editing. Once again, with The Sensory Studies Manifesto, he offers big-picture historical and contemporary scholarship that is rigorously mindful of the interplay of grounded case studies and expansive theoretical agendas." - Steven Feld, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Anthropology and Music, University of New Mexico, "Relentlessly trenchant, invariably insightful, and tenaciously intelligent, David Howes' sparkling new book is indispensable for any student of the senses. The Sensory Studies Manifesto is a deeply rewarding read." - Mark Smith, Carolina Distinguished Professor of History, University of South Carolina and author of A Sensory History Manifesto

David Howes is a professor of anthropology and co-director of the Centre for Sensory Studies at Concordia University.