Through the course, we’ve been looking at images, their creation and their reception as processes of that involve choice (what to create, how to create it, how
to think about it when you see it). But there are a lot of underlying factors concerning what we actually get to see.
Different vocabulary words with specific definitions get used for this situation (for example: censorship, iconoclasm, vandalism, suppression) but essentially
they all mean that someone did not want other people to have access to certain types of images (or believed that other specific images communicated the
desired narrative “better”). And all of those circumstances can be self-perpetuating as well as imposed by outside forces (systemic or overt).
This week, I’d like you to think about how conformity is shaped and presented through image selection as outlined in the case study on the following three
pages. You should also consider the some of the other issues touched on in this week’s material.
The broader goals of the assignment are to:
1) consider how individual identity is influenced by the types of images we see and how deeply we chose to engage with them.
2) comment on the levels of image control through various types of access to images.
3) discuss how cultures express ideology through the selection of what images are deemed “appropriate”; what are the pros and cons?
Reminder: You are not expected to do any further research beyond what is here in the assignment.
This is about your critical thinking on the issues, not anyone else’s