Final Reflection Social Sciences Essay: Impact of Visual Representations on Society

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Impact of Visual Representations on Society: A Reflection
The power of images is undisputed in shaping views and minds. In U.S. context, visual representations, particularly imagery mediated by media, are powerful and pervasive so much so imagery and reality are mixed up on and off screens. The control media – in all forms, including New Media – exercises over representations of people, concepts and objects is also a matter of dominance. Specifically, U.S. media – and, for that matter, different forms of visual representations, including arts – are informed by hegemonic practices projecting premeditated imageries as “normal,” “acceptable,” and, sometimes, “nonnegotiable.” Instead, a myriad of imageries and representations are suppressed in order to normalize a status quo of one mainstream norm. Consider, for example, visual representations of beauty. Through a white (dominant) lens, slimness and whiteness are givens in any (visual) representations of beauty. The race among young people to shed weight – and get sick – is, in fact, a race of image control. The “glossed” and “polished” images – on screens and magazines – are, put succinctly, are intentional and are meant to project – and sell – one, and always one, image of acceptable beauty in a U.S. context. In contrast, fringe images of beauty – Black, Latino or Overweight – are emerging to challenge current dominant image of and representations for physical, and perhaps inner, beauty. These parallel visual representations offer, moreover, alternative platforms of imagination, so to speak, in order to visualize different forms of beauty. Similarly, a good many
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