One of the reasons for starting this blog now as a feeder into the Cultural Identities Unit is that the events of the last seven days have thrown into relief a number of issues surrounding the ways in which identities and identifications are constructed and contested.
Although we may think that Stuart Hall et al (in Cultural Studies) had put an end to the ‘old’ national and cultural identities by arguing that they are groundless and mythical, they do seem to be back with a force in the new politics of identity and identification. In this context of ‘terrorist times’ in which identities are constructed and circulated through discourses of orientalism, national security and universal human rights – we need to be on our guard. In other words we need to be alert, and yes, probably alarmed at the mechanisms of identity construction we witness through the media – both mainstream and ‘citizen’ (ie weblogs like this one).
Here are two examples where strong visual narratives create and circulate identities on numerous levels.
The Guardian picture editor’s photo-narrative
We’re not Afraid .com
One important question is, ‘how are these representations of others/ourselves established as truth?
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