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The Rachel Tanur Prize for Visual Sociology, sponsored by the Social Science Research Council (SSRC), is accepting applications for 2025. The prize honors students in the social sciences who utilize visual analysis in their research and aims to encourage students to use photography as a visual medium for studying and understanding social issues.
Opportunity Details
This prestigious competition invites undergraduate and graduate students to showcase their sociological insights through photography and commentary. Open to individuals passionate about visual sociology, the prize honors the legacy of Rachel Tanur, a pioneer in using photography as a tool for social inquiry.
It is named for Rachel Dorothy Tanur (1958–2002), an urban planner and lawyer who keenly observed living situations and human relationships and cared passionately about people’s lives. The Rachel Tanur Prize for Visual Sociology is awarded every two years.
The first prize is $5,000 USD, two years of honorary Board Membership to the International Sociological Association (ISA) Visual Sociology Research Committee, and publication of the winning essay as a “picture talk feature” with an associated DOI in the journal Visual Studies. The second prize is $2,500 USD and the third prize is $1,500 USD. All prize winners will be awarded student membership to the ISA and the Visual Sociology Research Committee. The prize is awarded biennially.
The Visual Sociology Research Committee will host a prize ceremony at the 5th ISA Forum of Sociology, to be held July 6-11, 2025 in Rabat, Morocco. The winner of the first place prize will be invited to attend the ISA Forum and the ceremony, with travel expenses paid by the Rachel Tanur Memorial Prize.
Applicants must meet the following requirements:
Required Documents
Please prepare and submit the following documents:
Apply for Rachel Tanur Prize for Visual Sociology