Describe and analyze an image and compare it to one of the texts we’ve read in order to determine 1) what argument the image is making and 2) how the image uses this argument to construct ideas about identity and community. Ultimately the goal of this assignment is to come up with a claim about stereotypes through this analysis of your chosen image. Step One: Choose an image that uses stereotypes in some way. This can be an internet advertisement, a subway advertisement, or a meme. Try to choose one with minimal text, and which relates to something you are interested in and care about. You must approve your image with me. Step Two: Describe this image in detail. Try to think about all the elements of the image – lighting, color, placement of people/objects, body language, shadows, etc. Just focus on what you can see in the image itself. Step Three: Analyze that image, thinking about ideas of audience and identity. Who is this image representing? And who is its primary audience? What argument is it making, what idea is it “selling” to its audience? What stereotypes is it relying on? How is this image participating in a larger “discourse” or building community? Remember, these images are constructed purposefully. None of it is random. Analyze what specific argument the image makes to convince the audience that it NEEDS to think or do a certain thing – how does the image USE ITS DETAILS to construct a particular argument for the viewer? What connotations do the different details of the image have? If you are analyzing a meme, you may use “Know Your Meme” to help understand how this meme’s context and how has been changed for your purpose. If you’re analyzing an ad, you may look into the product being advertised to understand how this ad is being used to sell it. NOTE: YOU DO NOT NEED TO ANSWER ALL OF THESE QUESTIONS, this is just to get you started! Step Four: Relate your analysis of the image to ONE of the other texts which we have read from this unit about stereotypes, representation, identity, and community: (Gay, “Peculiar Beliefs”; Staples, “Just Walk on By: Black Man in Public Space”; Gay, “The Careless Language of Sexual Violence,” Whitehead, “City Limits”; Kincaid, “Ugly Tourist”; Berger, “Ways of Seeing”). What argument is this text making about the representation of identity? Is it making a similar argument as the image you chose? How does this reading help you understand your chosen image better?
