Scientific Looking, Looking at Science

“Science intersects with other areas of knowledge and culture and draws on those systems in its day to day practices.” Going back to the notion of science’s role in everyday life, though we do not notice it, we are at every second exposed to technology and science. For example, the computer that I am blogging on required a scientific innovation and invention; the buildings we have class in require a certain level of scientific achievement and accomplishment. The fact that we have chicken nuggets is yet another example of the countless ones we oftentimes do not notice or think about. With such prevalence in society and in everything we do, science cannot escape influencing culture. For example, we are called the “Myspace” generation. However, even though Myspace is popular and people are constantly creating new Myspace pages, in a changing society and culture such as ours, Myspace to some has become “outdated” and something of the past. It is always becoming more obvious that the world is an ever-changing culture impacted immensely by changing and increasingly advanced technologies.

“Positivist science- in which the idea that we can know things positively and factually without the mediation of language representation systems” has been for the most part undermined by constantly-improving technology and its way of causing people to question traditional authority. The unreliability of positivist science, exemplified during King’s trial, is again constantly illustrated with new technologies, such as Photoshop and video editing software like Final Cut Pro. However, to update the idea of positivist science, its definition should be changed to include “for the most part,” as it still sees practical, reliable application in the medical field, say for example, if someone’s x-rays show a tumor of some sort, possibly implying that he or she has cancer. However, in most cases, positivist science should see more practical application in crime scene investigation, at least in situations where there are low-tech criminals.

The notion that women visually bond with their future children through sonogram images and actually change their minds about abortion illustrates the powerful impact of technology upon not only culture as a whole, but in the everyday decision making process, and especially in big decisions such as that of trying to decide whether or not to keep a baby. Nowadays, one can hop onto the internet and research whatever he or she pleases. If anyone should want a new computer, one could spend minutes researching deals and after finding a deal, possibly the cheapest deal, he or she could purchase it. In the past, limited technology prevented such research possibilities and potential for decision making. However, with increasing technologies can sometimes come dependence, addiction, and purposeful forms of either. Businesses nowadays readily expect any potential employee to research the companies they seek employment at. Otherwise, with competition, anyone who performs research will have the upper hand and easily have an advantage over another person. On some levels, technology such as the internet levels the playing field; in this example, anyone can jump on the net and become informed. However, people who don’t have access to technologies like the internet will be sorely disadvantaged. Thus, a gap appears between the tech-savvy and the tech-less.

Medical and technical or computer language and jargon now seem to be interchangeable. In describing brain and brain function, one can say that the brain “codes” a “message” before having the message carried out. In computer talk, one could “code” a program and “instant message” a friend. Though identical, the two words have very different meanings. As technology continues to be applied to more and more fields, however, words traditionally reserved or limited to technical and computer situations could become widespread and even part of our everyday vernacular.

Reproduction and Visual Technologies

The reading takes a firm stand on technological determinism which I agree with for the most part. Basically, most, if not all of the technological inventions have come about because of “collective social and cultural desires.” For example, Myspace clearly does nothing on its own; it requires users to give it a meaning, and this meaning may mean different things to different people. For example, some see it as a way to meet potential partners, while others see it as a way to simply keep in touch or socialize casually. Regardless of the purpose, for any social effects to occur, people must use technological inventions. It is similar to the Chinese saying, “You can take a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink.” Also along the same lines are the saying, “Guns don’t kill people, people kill people.” However, though Sturken and Cartwright seem to find a balance on the subject, I find that the ample and increasingly widespread use of technology at times silly and imbalanced. By this, I mean the Myspace and Facebook fanatics, who make use of the technology, though do it to such an extent that may harm themselves and possibly other people. Also, the issue of video game freaks/addicts asks the question of whether it is the video game that is the problem, the video gamer, or a combination of both, and if it is a combination of both, what percentage should be blamed on which? To an extent, technology does control us and allow us to fulfill our more negative desires, which include things like internet addiction, AIM, and even worser things, like Facebook stalking. Regarding ethics and morality, technology does not always benefit its user.

On the topic of photography, the invention of the camera, and the resulting change in art forms by various traditional painters, it seems that rather than “allow” painters to create new forms of art, it forced them to. Monet, Picasso, and Braque may have jumped on the bandwagon of new art forms quickly, but others such as Adolf Hitler, I believe, were not able to. Thus, if one wasn’t part of the impressionist, cubist, or other such related art movements at the time, one was considered outdated. However, the advent of photography, whether it forced or allowed artists new freedom, did appear to result in new, exciting ways to paint. However, this brings to question the motives of those artists at the time; for example, did they create the new art forms because they were outdated? Did they do so out of necessity or in order to still make a living creating art? These questions look at the motive of the creation of art, which may bring into question the legitimacy of several artists and possibly art forms.

Interestingly, as time passes, meanings, connotations, and denotations of words seem to change. Authenticity, for example, is used differently now than it has been used in the past. Though in Benjamin’s time, authentic meant something “genuine, reliable, not false or copied,” it is now used more loosely, with the example of the “Authentic” label across the Docker’s ad. Art’s effect upon the meanings and concept of words, though subtle at times and more overt at others, seems to continue as technology progresses. If what is meant by authenticity has changed so much in less than one century, then to what extent will the meanings of words change from what they are today in another 50-100 years? New visual technologies such as the Ipod and its wagon of accessories and updates has already spawned new words, such as “podcasts” and require an increasing use of technology-related words such as “interface,” “analog,” and “text,” among many others. This may even impact slang. Connecting this idea to effects on culture and society, people create technology, which, when used, constantly transforms culture, identity, and society and since technology is dynamic and ever-changing, culture, identity, and society will always continue to change, just as it has been.

Spectatorship, Power and Knowledge (72-107)

Focault’s notion of the idea of power within a “penitentiary panopticon,” the structure of surveillance, whether it is active or not, produces conforming behavior. However, upon observing several examples of buildings that fit the description and purpose, the buildings themselves do not produce the behavior, but the human behavior that gives not only the architecture itself meaning, but its purpose and use. It is the response taken as a result of the surveillance that produces such behavior. For example, if everyone but Bob wears clothing from the brand “Abercrombie and Fitch” and is conscious of that fact, he may respond by wearing “Abercrombie and Fitch” as well, but only after acknowledging that he cares about the opinions of others or of being like others. Thus, one must also care about the repercussions of being observed and care to take action based on those observations before any behavior is induced.
It is also logical that such observations can create the “docile bodies which dominate our society through use of ideological texts.” Even looking around at USC’s school body, many people share similar thoughts, ideas, attitudes, and attire. Thus, they respond to and are members of a common culture, that of USC and in a larger context, the U.S, at least in some ways.

Address refers to way image constructs certain responses, whereas reception is about the ways in which actual viewers respond. When I think of “address,” I think of movies, which typically have a response in mind, whether that be fear, excitement, warmth, or humor, and so on. Such addresses are like dominant/hegemonic readings of sorts, in which there are oftentimes common responses, such as statements, feelings, or statements resulting from feeling, and so on. Though in general society is populated with diverse, unique beings, these addresses reach out to an audience in a common way through similarities at the core of most people’s beings. Reception, on the other hand, can vary widely. For example, a friend thought that the brother who fed his sister corpses in Resident Evil (1 or 2, I forget) was an example of family love. I, on the other hand, thought the scene and everything in it gruesome and disgusting. Thus, his reception was completely different from mine and was more subjective, similar to a punctum reading, which draws upon a person’s personal experiences and personality.

When Lacan says “human beings imagine they're individual even when their identities have been constructed within social structures of Western capitalism,” I think about how this statement may be applicable to a certain class of people, though not at all applicable to everyone under the category of Western capitalism. An easy counterexample would be the large number of races living in America, sometimes touted as the mother of capitalism. These races include Europeans, Blacks, Hispanics, and Asians, to name a few. Within those general categories lie various ethnicities, such as German, African-American, Puerto-Rican, and Japanese. Thus, these inherently different identities, though possibly in part constructed by Western capitalism, leave enough room for individual difference and uniqueness.

Jeffries’ notion of being punished in attempt to know more about female subject, but is also vulnerable and trapped in the process is genius. If this statement is true, nearly all guys should be punished all the time, for both seeing and looking. On the subject of mental imprisonment, Orientalism perpetuates the idea that Westerners to be prisoners of Easterners and Middle-Easterners, who have been thought of as exotic and barbaric.

Image Assignment

Part II- Studium/Punctum

The studium reading of this image is rather simple. With her head tilted towards the left, the woman smiles happily at life. Apparently, something or everything is going well- work, family, life. The way her hands are situated, with her left arm around her waist and her right arm around the chair further complements the idea that she is content with the current situation. Additionally, the woman’s eyes are closed, which further signifies her comfort. The comfortable position, smile of contentment on her face, and closed eyes, along with the shining sun in the background show that all is well.

The punctum reading, which is more personal and unique to each individual, involves the cross situated slightly right of the middle. I colored the cross light blue and bordered it in bright yellow to symbolize not only God’s role in creating the beauty of the scene, as they are symbolic of God, but the overall joy attained by viewing the scene and the smiling woman. I left the cross small and in its present position to illustrate that God’s work is oftentimes subtle and also that he works in subtle ways. Additionally, it is small yet noticeable because God oftentimes works that way; people take for granted what is there, but after simply taking a moment to enjoy life and nature, much like this woman is currently doing, one would appreciate what God has done. Because the cross is a punctum, it is my personal interpretation.


Part III- Front and Back Leaflet

Using white (a serious font that suits the background), bold text, the text conveys a serious message to the Iraqi citizens to not use nuclear weapons. The index, the mushroom cloud of the atomic bomb warns that destruction will occur should Iraqi citizens support use of such weapons. The two icons, the man wearing the mask and the “biohazard” symbol, warn of impending medical conditions, including death from using the weapons.

The back side of the leaflet continues the message of the first leaflet in concise, straightforward language to tell the typical Iraqi citizen through black, bold direct text to support the U.S. Coalition forces in its war efforts in Iraq. The text helps the reader understand that weapons shouldn’t be used because they’re harmful and could help support the oppressive rule of Saddam and his regime, who should be overthrown for their tyranny, among other compelling reasons. The cartoonish icon of Saddam illustrates how Saddam essentially holds Iraq in his fist, while the real photo of Saddam to the right contrasts cartoon look, showing that he is a real, threatening person who is not afraid to use his power. The blue border surrounding the overall image adds color to the white background and lessens the intensity of the message, acknowledging that the writer of the message has good intentions in mind.

Viewers Make Meaning

“We recognize ourselves within the cultural group or audience imagined by the image.” Though this may be a cynical perspective, such cultural groups or audiences lead to the development of a mass market society in which images, ideas, and attitudes are adopted en masse, thus creating a homogenous body that acts and responds similarly to different things. This concept lays the foundation for empowerment and disempowerment, in which people can feel empowered if they are familiar with a particular image, idea, or thing, and disempowered when not “in the know,” which allows for and perpetuates equality on some level.

The idea that the creator of images prefer that people have certain interpretations of their creation promotes the idea of common cultures and with that, commonalities in general. For example, if everyone acknowledges the local McDonald’s “M” as a negative symbol of the fast food culture of America, then that sign, to that particular viewer, will always carry a negative connotation. On the other hand, an innocent ten year old burger aficionado may see the yellow overarching “M” as a highlight of the day and may beg his or her parents to buy a happy meal. This idea also provides some of the underlying reason for commonality in that the common interpretation of symbols provides common grounds and with that, common knowledge, which may lead to conversation and eventually relations such as friendship or otherwise. This idea connects people of a society, culture, or general group together.

Regarding different types of readings, such as the dominant-hegemonic reading, negotiated reading, and oppositional reading, the most popular readings are dominant-hegemonic. In a society that so openly value freedom of thought and discussion, however, it is interesting to see that in schooling, interpretations are oftentimes placed upon people and commonly decided upon as the “correct” reading. However, in such a society, meaning can be given in a number of different ways, given a number of different contexts and is also oftentimes dependent on the person’s characteristics regarding interpretation. This is to say that the book is correct in foreseeing a possible movement towards negotiated readings and quite possibly oppositional readings, which is a comforting getaway from the typically restrictive, almost dictatorial dominant-hegemonic reading, which maintains, rather than questions and seeks change in the status quo.

Cultural meaning is indeed a “highly fluid, ever changing thing.” It is true that marketers try their best to associate their products with being “cool,” because that typically sells products most effectively, thus bringing in profits. However, the book makes culture sound so dynamic that it is changing at such a fast pace that it cannot be documented. Though it may be true in some cases, as our decade or so has not been given a name as did specific periods of time such as that of the “baby boomers,” culture at this time can be documented to some extent and kept up with so to speak, at least for a brief period of time. Also, this idea can be applied to the “American culture” and perhaps explain in some part why this culture is so difficult to define. For example, is it a fast food nation, a nation of immigrants, a melting pot, a capitalistic opportunist? All of the above?