Visual Texts Display the Beliefs and Ideologies of the Culture that Created (Case Study Sample)

Visual texts display the beliefs and ideologies of the culture that created
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Introduction
Culture is communicated to people and preserved in a variety of ways. Over the years, fiction stories, newspapers, magazines and academic texts have been the medium that transmitted and preserved culture. While it is true that these medium capture attention, manipulate the public and influence our thinking while preserving and transmitting culture, the growing use of visual texts does these faster. Visual excitement has been a common happening that is now a threat to education since many students are now logging the internet for exiting visual texts. Culture and beliefs of the creators is embedded in the visual texts they create. A common photograph will communicate much more than the immediate environment since culture can be seen in mode of dressing, the type of food to be eaten, the captured action, symbols, signals and sign. However, it is also true to say that visual text is a representation of universal culture. This paper shall discuss the representation of gender in culture. It will also consider the effect of photo as a tool of propaganda and finally discuss the perception of the death and nature. Additionally, the paper shall demonstrate how the depiction of gender, death and propaganda is embodies in the creators culture. The paper shall also address how meaning is communicated through the use of visual images by analyzing the images attached herein as the appendix.
Background information
To begin with, an image has the power to summarize weighty ideas, start arguments, and stimulate thinking as well as action instantly (Frascina, 2003). The effects of an image are immensely felt both in the mind and heart of the viewer as images reflect on culture. Duncombe said that "the importance of visual text is either to provoke people to think or initiate action" (Duncombe 1997, p. 98). Visual images can be accessed by members of diverse cultures; it is a language that all human beings can use to communicate.
Culture
Mitchell defined culture as "rule-governed symbolic activities that include shared information or activities used by a community at any time and place" (Mitchell 1994, p. 12). Barthes (2003, p.18) said that culture shapes the thinking of a community in certain ways. In his discussion about culture and semiotics, he asserted that values and belief system are transmitted in second order language that make use of images, symbols, stories and values through verbal language and sign systems such as visual image, information technology and media (Barthes, 2003). The symbols of culture are dynamic as they vary. Culture includes belief system and ideologies.
Ideology is "the way a society views everyday life" (Howells 2003, p. 74). However Karl max saw ideology as a system used by the elite to exploit and control the masses Howells 2003, p. 71). Visual images can be termed as ideological practices that represent desires, value and preferences. The images capture our ideology. This means that visual images reflect the values, beliefs and culture of the creators. It was not until visual images were incorporated into social studies that visual images gained importance in the study of culture. The idea of ideology was incorporated inform of photography of war (Howells, 2003).
Cultural studies model
Critics have claimed that academic cultural studies have reduced the content of the media by analyzing the political and ideological messages (Frascina, 2003 and Howells, 2003). The model that is used for culture analysis has been referred to as effect model of analysis that does not use activities of individuals, groups, the agencies and even subculture by focusing on commercial mechanism. Cultural Marxism is "built upon the concept of hegemony through the social-economic process" (Howells 2003, p. 74). This means that cultural studies usually portray a more dominant ideology which is acceptable to the public. Visual culture is ideally ideologically encoded to take advantage of the willingness of the consumers by perpetuating the status quo (Howells, 2003). This is achieved as a result of dominate ideology that is imposed on the minority who sees the world according to the perspective of the creators of the images.
Cultural believes and ideologies that circulate in visual image could include individuality that presents personal preferences and identities that forces conformity of the consumers. We may also have freedom of choice and sex expression. Furthermore, the analysis of culture determines social behavior by multiple identities such as sex, race, gender, social class and even nationality which might be transmitted in power, gender, believe system and economic value.
However, Frascina (2003) has shown that there exist many strategies for dealing with visual image contents: by way of negotiating while moderating the meaning basing on the culture, or substituting the opposing code. These strategies have gone a long way to create subcultures among the communities using visual images, music and media which creates differentiation from the main cultures.
Believes and ideologies
Ideology can be defined as individually held values (Frascina 2003, p. 12). However, for the purpose of this paper, we shall use description of ideology that states; constructed views of the world that are contained in a culture. Regarding visual images, individual topics or subjects take up social positions by gaining identity. They can also be subjecting and compelling. Additionally, ideology is a believe system of a community or a social group.
Interpretation
Walker and Chaplin (1997) described interpretation as discursive output that aligns meaning in all systems of signs through vision. He added that interpretation is in the same form as the vision that is interpreting (Walker and Chaplin, 1997). This means that the interpretation of a form of art object is in the supplementary art work and subsequent texts. A system of symbolic relationships will guide the act of interpretation to make occurring meaning. Interpretation therefore supplements seen signs since it is not an opinion but subjection of culture in a way that express work. Vision and intelligibility are important during interpretation of any work of art. The work is presented because it means something and deserves community interpretation or language interpretation recognition.
Members of cultures transfer meanings by lesser access to the preexisting believe, cultures and ideologies and actual images reflect in the mainstream culture. Signs are associated with the attached meaning and are associated with sub-culture. Visual images are described as the memory machines that support the culture that they transmit in physical form (Walker and Chaplin 1997). They added that "enhancing domination of certain aspects of shared content is a role played by vision and visuality because people have gender, age, personalities and histories" (Walker and Chaplin 1997, p. 22).
Representation of gender roles
Visual images constantly send, receive and make cultural meanings. Social aspects are also explored in culture and community to make the visual images meaningful in the context of culturally meaningful activities. The representation of gender in cultures is more evident in advertisements (Mirzoeff, 2009). Analyzing the photos presented in appendix 1 and 2 will shade light to the stereotyping of the modern woman. The idea of beauty for the modern woman goes beyond physical attributes and sophistication.
Deconstructing the two images shades light to the idea of the modern beauty that goes beyond physical attributes. The dominant culture has facilitated ideologies and believes such as perceived gender roles in a culture that is struggling to get identity. Mirzoeff (2009) noted that women have been considered as being emotional expressive and are majorly likened to household chore. On the other hand, the gentle man has been assigned roles that are associated with male and it is associated with hostility, resilience and sovereignty (appendix 7 and 8). The male gender is communally associated with communal activities. Culture supports stereotyped roles by building expectations of certain genders as constructed by the creator of the work. Housewives culture has been dominant until recently women are dominated as they take to fashion and modeling. They reveal sexual attributes which are closely associated with caring, loving and motherliness (Mirzoeff, 2009). The woman in appendix 1 draws the attention of the viewer toward sexual organs to include breasts and genital as her dress is revealing. Such culture could treat women as object of male satisfaction. In this regard, visual images showing women include fashion trends, family, cleanliness and pleasing others.
However, culture treats men differently. They are portrayed as authoritative and dependable (appendix 10). Most images will show men at work and women at home or modeling. As evidenced in culture, the role of the media advertisement is a representation of the changes in societal roles. The dress code of the images of women in appendix 2 and appendix 11 is signified by ‘shouting colors’ and nudity to attract the attention of the public.
Studies by Pattison show that most of the US house hold watched television for more than eight hours a day on average (Pattison, 2007). The TV will then memorize the contents, images and wordings without questioning. This process will go a long way to form a common culture or world view and common values.
Ideology and subjectivity
The aspect of culture can be analyzed basing on visual images in advertisements. Howells (2003) described ideology as the condition in which meaning that is determined by the preset conditions of the society is perpetuated. The artist of...