National Myth and National Identity: The Visual ‘Framing’ of Ambivalence
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Edie Lanphar [1] ; Phil Fitzsimmons [2]
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[1] San Roque School, Santa Barbara, California
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[2] Avondale College, Newcastle, Australia
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- Localización: Exploring Visual Literacy Inside, Outside and Through the Frame / Aundreta Conner Farris (ed. lit.), Frieda Pattenden (ed. lit.), 2012, ISBN 9781848881129, págs. 13-22
- Idioma: inglés
- Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
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Resumen
This overall aim of this chapter is to discuss the processes of ‘framing’ and ‘mythic framing’ as the means by which ‘national identity’ is visually narrated as newspaper reportage. In particular, this chapter will focus on how the signs, symbols and metaphors of arguably Australia’s key foundational mythic narratives, Anzac Day, were visually ‘framed’ in the Australian newspaper in 2011. Although the commemoration a military defeat at Gallipoli in World War I, this campaign now portrayed as ‘sacred,’ has been recognised as the perhaps the key impetus in generating Australia’s socio-cultural narrative in regard to ‘national identity.’ However, the print news media, social commentators and researchers believe that at this present time this concept of national identity is in a state of flux, and therefore have asked the question how is the cornerstone narrative also being perceived? Through the lens of ‘framing’ the dominant headline photograph, and the constellation of smaller photographs in the April edition of the Australian appear to carry the dominant themes of this ‘sacred mythology’ portraying the notions of the ‘digger,’ ‘mateship’ and determination. However, a ‘framing’ examination of these visual texts using the tools of visual literacy revealed a more ambiguous and tenuous ‘identity narrative,’ one still enmeshed in hegemonic structures of masculinity, patriarchy and imperialism.
