Abstract
This essay presents a brief survey of the sensory turn in contemporary scholarship, and points to some directions
for future research. It makes no claims to be comprehensive, but rather aims to indicate major trends in the
field. The essay starts with an overview of the emergence and development of the history and anthropology of
the senses. In Part II, the focus shifts to how the field of sensory studies can otherwise be conceptualized as
made up of visual culture, auditory culture (or sound studies), smell culture, taste culture and the culture of
touch. An account is given of the genesis of these divisions. There follows an overview of some key issues in
sensory studies, such as the question of the number of the senses, and the relationship of sensory order to
social order. The essay concludes with eight propositions for sensory studies.