This Image Should NOT be Seen by the Whole World, Angela VandenBroek

How does social media construct the “other” and limit perceptions of agency? Read this example:

“I find the Facebook meme distressing, not because of the Belo Monte Dan Project, but because the author and all of the people who share it have fed into and bolstered (even if unknowingly) a narrative that depicts indigenous people as sad and powerless and awaiting the benevolence of people from industrialized nations. This pulls into focus our own arrogance and biases against indigenous peoples. It does not help the cause or support Chief Raoni. It only makes us feel better about our lazy attempts to “save” people that we look down upon.”

 

http://ak.vbroek.org/2013/04/15/this-image-should-not-be-seen-by-the-whole-world/

Humans of New York – Photos and Blog, by Brandon Stanton

Everyone has hopes and reams, things that make them sad, and unique experiences and ways of seeing the world. This blog, my new favorite, is a great one for talking about stereotypes and identity.

http://www.humansofnewyork.com/

Cultural Appropriation: A Conversation – Photographs and Words by Sanaa Hamid

From Sanaa Hamid: “This body of work is an exploration of the extent of cultural appropriation and encourages a discussion about it. I give the appropriator and the appropriated the opportunity to defend themselves and create a dialogue between them, while maintaining a neutral stance myself. I am not attacking those who appropriate, merely educating and creating awareness. Neutrality is key in this series, as i remove myself from my political and social status and opinions, stripping the problem to the most basic issue; taking an item that means a great deal to somebody and corrupting it.”

http://sanaahamid.com/Cultural-Appropriation-A-conversation