Visual Sociology: Documentary, Narrative, Emotion, and Aesthetics in a second and post generation Asian

American Church

Kenneth Vaughan

Documentary

Pastor Kyumin Whang and church members socialize while waiting for the service to start.

Pastor Kyumin Whang and church members share responsibility in setting up equipment for the church equipment.

Alex Lee prepares to lead the praise and worship singing session

Alex practices for the praise and worship singing session in front from the congregation

Alex leading the praise and worship singing session, with the lyrics displayed on the screen behind him.

Church members take time to greet each other between the praise and worship singing session and the church sermon.

Pastor Whang delivers a sermon on effective prayer based on the Book of Nehemiah.

At the close of the sermon Pastor Whang leads the congregation in prayer, relevant to the sermon. If there are guests who he does not know, he will also lead a guests in a prayer to dedicate their lives to Jesus Christ.

Church members spend some time socializing, often discussing the past week after the sermon has ended.

Church members leave before 1:00 PM as the rented facility will be used by another church later in the day.

Narrative

Another church rents out space to this particular church. This church is not large enough to use the main facilities so they use a portable in the back. Church signs help newcomers navigate the facility.

Due to the small nature of the the rented room and church congregation, Pastor Whang needs no microphone to deliver his sermon

This particular church has varied in size. From have dozens of members on a given service, to less than ten. Pastor Whang’s involvement in the university community due to his work as a research scientist at a university often brings in students who move away after graduate.

The host church is committed to providing facilities for local churches catering to international communities. The set up for an African church remains in the room during this particular church service.

This church caters to Asians born in the United States. Pastor Whang makes a sports reference that may not be seen at churches serving first generation Asian immigrants.

Church members are given note-taking pamphlets which are partially filled in. They are encouraged to take notes during the service. Above are before and after pictures of today’s service’s note-taking pamphlet.

Emotional

Church members passionately worship God through singing.

Pastor Whang gets serious when explaining crucial elements of his sermon.

Pastor Whang passionately emphasizes points which are crucial to his sermon and Biblical concepts crucial to influencing the lives of believers.

Contrast to Aesthetic

• The simple nature of this small church, renting a small unelaborate portable does not lend itself to aesthetic photography. The photographs in this section will provide contrast for what I anticipate to be aesthetic photos taken at older and more traditional Asian churches.

This church rents a small room in a plain looking portable building behind another church.

The pastor speaks from a small simple pulpit, to a congregation sitting in simple chairs, in a room normally used for a private school classroom.