How do photographs affect the way we think of ourselves (e.g., our body image) and of others (e.g., the "primitives" pictured in National Geographic)? How do photographs create desire (e.g., in advertising and pornography)? Why do people take photographs of friends and family but rarely photograph complete strangers? These questions explore the nature of a "picturing society", one where individuals are surrounded by photographic images and, as a result, the ability to capture realistic representations of the world around us influences image, meaning, and memory. The term "picturing society" also refers to the process of using visual information to understand the characteristics of society – social class and gender divisions, social structure, the process of social change, etc. Photographs from a wide variety of contexts – personal, commercial, scientific, artistic, and others – will be used to explore these aspects of picturing society.