Definition -
denotation and connotation
"Denotation is the
literal meaning of the word or image, Connotation is the association (emotional
or otherwise) which the word or image evokes in a particular viewer. This
will largely depend on cultural factors like race, education, political stance,
etc. An example of this is Dorothea Lange's image of a migrant
mother. This powerful image denotes despair, hopelessness and suffering;
it connotes that society either doesn't care or had simply forgotten that such
people existed and needed help." Quote from the Gesture &
Meaning project book, page 26.
Punctum:
Point or small area in a
picture; precise location of something; a spatially limited location.
Barthes definition of Punctum:
The punctum in a
photograph are those (accidental) details (often in the background) that provides
no explanation but instead creates questions on the surrounding people in those
photographs.
Polysemic:
having more than one
meaning, multiple meanings.
Canard:
a deliberately misleading
fabrication; (n) an unfounded or false deliberately misleading story; a false
or baseless usually derogatory story, report or rumour.
Define eugenics
The science of improving
a population by controlled breeding to increase the occurrence of desirable
heritable characteristics.
Reading about Gordon
Parks project on segregation in the USA and about eugenics which is based on the idea that some
characteristics are ‘better’ than others and that you can improve the human
gene pool by encouraging reproduction between people with desirable genetic
traits and discouraging reproduction amongst those with less desirable
traits.
From Chapter 4 in course reader:
Phrenology
The study of
the conformation of the skull based on the belief that it is indicative of
mental faculties and character
Physiognomy
The art of
determining character or personal characteristics from the form or features of
the body, especially of the face.
Objectification
In social
philosophy, objectification means treating a person as a thing, without regard
to their dignity.
