Abstract
This paper analyzes common visual tropes depicting themes of hope found in book covers, videos, and memes, such as those on platforms such as TikTok, Pinterest, and Instagram. While hope-centered social media are not directed campaigns, they nevertheless intervene and spread “virally” within communities contributing valuable insights into how hope–and conceptualizations, images, and imaginations of hope–disperse. We consider how these forms of visual image-making deliver a conception of hope as distinct from optimism; in a distinction made famous by Vaclav Havel, hope is not empty or idle optimism or the assurance that all will be fine, but rather a commitment to working toward purposeful and sometimes radical goals regardless of the chance of success. Drawing on this distinction, we argue that scholars such as Donna Haraway, Paolo Freire, Kevin Gannon, and Lauren Berlant theorize hope as an intellectual practice with particular epistemological tools for enhancing connection, community, and compassion. Analyzing the visual images through the lens of these theorists reveals a wide set of implicit popular understandings of the role of hope, particularly in their use of botanical visual metaphors and their portrayal of individualism or community. Our analysis develops insights into how visual and digital cultures can impede or promote sustainable intellectual and ethical practices of hope and collaboration.
Presenters
Ellen MollAssistant Dean of Undergraduate Studies, College of Arts and Letters, Michigan State University, Michigan, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Digital, Media, Visual Rhetoric, Theory, Epistemology, Hope, Social Media
