Visual Research Methods: A Retrospective

In reflecting on my experiences this past semester and the courses that made up my foray into grad school I am reminded of what a privilege my education is and how glad I am that I made the choice to return to school after so many years away. It hasn't been easy returning to school as an older student but I am learning to recognize and appreciate this "non-traditional" approach to life I seem to continually engage in. I bring up the idea of "non-traditional" because one of my classes this semester also could be described as this. At first "Visual Research Methods" sounded abstract, convoluted and intimidating but it was a course that would satisfy one of my masters requirements so I thought I would brave it. I'm glad I did. I've never felt words to be my thing so it's tough for me to express just how much I got from this class. What I learned was the importance and possibility of viewing and presenting ideas alternatively. Thinking outside the box and working non-traditionally rather than conforming to the typical mode of writing a paper to present your ideas. How can we explore this all-encompassing culture of the visual and create useful, tangible methods of presenting our ideas as part of that culture? This class was innovative, fresh and extremely relevant to contemporary culture. The assignments, the readings and class discussions were rigorous and challenging to say the least (and yes, completely intimidating when I first arrived) and have expanded my mind in ways I never imagined. One of the highlights of the course for me was the video essay project. Examining visual culture from the standpoint of the absence of the visual and getting to work with Valerie Sandler continues to impact me and shape the way I engage with culture, visual and non-visual. Another of the assignments was to create an academic blog (which is the result of what you're reading). This was something I was new to and admittedly quite resistant to. I'm still getting comfortable with using technology to express my thoughts and ideas without feeling like I'm being self-serving and boring. Everytime I approach a blog, it requires time and thoughtfulness in a way I completely resented at first. Ugh, another blog I would think. But, I have to admit, its kind of fun and I see the merit in doing it. Will I continue? Actually, I'm kind of liking it and don't really care so much anymore if it's self-serving or boring and I don't really care if anyone reads it. Yes, I think I will continue and see where it goes…


"Visual Research Methods" presented such a diversity of concepts, theories, ideas, issues and politics surrounding visual culture. Unpacking them in one semester is impossible for me. Thankfully, the beautiful thing about education is that I get to take these ideas with me and think about them for a long, long time.

Generation M: Misogyny in Media & Culture - Trailer - Available on DVD

The other day I was studying the face of George Washington on a dollar bill and made the simple revelation: there are no representations of women (with the exception of Susan B. Anthony) on any U.S. currency. Certainly not a new revelation, I know, [nor is the absence of female presidents] but a heightened awareness for me nonetheless. The thought prompted my reflection on an article I read in the Washington Post (Sunday 2/21/10) written by Jessica Valenti about equality for women in America still being an illusion:

Every day, we hear about the horrors women endure in other countries: rape in Darfur, genital mutilation in Egypt, sex trafficking in Eastern Europe. We shake our heads, forward e-mails and send money. We have no problem condemning atrocities done to women abroad, yet too many of us in the United States ignore the oppression on our doorstep. We're suffering under the mass delusion that women in America have achieved equality. And why not -- it's a feel-good illusion. We cry with Oprah and laugh with Tina Fey; we work and take care of our children; we watch Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice proudly and sigh with relief, believing we've come so far. But we're basking in a "girl power" moment that doesn't exist -- it's a mirage of equality that we've been duped into believing is the real thing. Because despite the indisputable gains over the years, women are still being raped, trafficked, violated and discriminated against -- not just in the rest of the world, but here in the United States. And though feminists continue to fight gender injustices, most people seem to think that outside of a few lingering battles, the work of the women's movement is done.

Valenti goes on to paint a very grim but real picture of the statistics of violence against women as well as more subtle forms of oppression happening: women only holding 17 percent of the seats in Congress, abortion being legal but with 85% of counties in the U.S. as having no provider (and now certain states traumatize women even further by making them view an ultrasound before getting an abortion -- btw, where is the impregnator's responsibility in that one?), and the continuance of the gender pay gap - women work outside the home, but make about 76 cents to a man's dollar and, according to Valenti, 'make up the majority of Americans living in poverty.' She calls it an epidemic of sexism or "enlightened sexism" as author Susan Douglas puts it.

It's not just women talking about this epidemic of sexism either (thank God). I am praising the work of professor Thomas Keith after discovering his 2008 documentary called Generation M: Misogyny in Media & Culture. In it, he tracks the 'destructive dynamics of misogyny across a broad and disturbing range of media phenomena: including the hyper-sexualization of commercial products aimed at girls, the explosion of violence in video games aimed at boys, the near-hysterical sexist rants of hip-hop artists and talk radio shock jocks, and the harsh, patronizing caricatures of femininity and feminism that reverberate throughout the mainstream of American popular culture.'

He gets it. And I know there are a lot of wonderful men out there who get it too.

Jessica Valenti is stern but she is right:

We act as if the hatred directed at women is something that can be dealt with by a stern talking to, as if the misogyny embedded in our culture is an unruly child rather than systematic oppression. Yes, women today fare better than our foremothers. But the benchmarks so often cited -- the right to vote, working outside the home, laws that make domestic violence illegal -- don't change the reality of women's lives. They don't prevent 1 million women from being raped, female troops from being assaulted or the continued legal discrimination against gay and transgender people. And seriously, are American women really supposed to be satisfied with the most basic rights of representation? Thrilled that our country has deigned to consider us fully human?

There is so much more work to be done. The truth is, most women don't have the privilege of being able to look at gender justice from a distance; they have no choice but to live it every day. Those of us who are lucky enough not to have to think about sexism, racism, poverty and homophobia on a daily basis -- those of us who have the privilege of sending money to an international cause via e-mail while ignoring the plight of women here at home -- have a responsibility to open our eyes to the misogyny right in front of us. And then to stop it.

I realize this notion of feminism and the idea of equality for other genders could be alienating and threatening especially when you're not used to sharing power. But it really doesn't have to be. There really is enough for everybody and wouldn't the world be a completely different place (and better in my opinion) if we tipped the scales a bit? Guys, we need you, we need your help to stop this violence and oppression against women…it starts with you.

Generation M | Media Education Foundation

Generation M | Media Education Foundation

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This is a website rich with media resources. The mission of the Media Education Foundation is to produce and distribute 'documentary films and other educational resources to inspire critical reflection on the social, political, and cultural impact of American mass media.' Check them out!

Digital Storytelling Project with Earl “The Pearl”

As part of a digital storytelling project for my Visual Research Methods class, I recently traveled to my parent’s winter home in Mesquite, Nevada to work with my father, Earl. For as long as I can remember he has always told his stories to anyone that would listen (and even to those who wouldn’t). Stories of growing up in a little Mormon farm town on the outskirts of Bancroft, Idaho, of being a Marine in World War II and what it was like to be stationed in China, and stories of meeting my mother. He’s recalled countless memories of flying an airplane and how proud he was to get his first twin engine airplane and how close he’s come to dying as a result of flying those planes. Not one for political correctness or sensitivity to the feminist agenda [let’s just say he would make Archie Bunker proud], many of his stories are actually off-color jokes that he repeats over and over and laughs himself silly each time the punchline comes as if it is the funniest thing ever said. He’s offended many and touched a few but he’s got a big heart and means well (I think). My dad loves an audience and he loves attention. Whenever visitors pop in to say hello, family is home for a visit, or he’s out playing poker or golf with the boys, he can’t help but share his stories. Now at the tender age of 84 it’s becoming more important to him to have his memories preserved. He wants his life recorded, wants to leave a footprint. Rather than me, his dutiful daughter trained in media studies, recording the stories the way I interpret them, I wanted to attempt to empower my father with the means to record his stories on his own terms, whenever and wherever he wanted to.

For recording this project, we used a basic set up: a small Panasonic mini-dv video camera and a tripod. I tutored him in camera angles and shot composition and let him make the decisions on how he wanted to be positioned and framed and if and when he wanted any zooming done. He also held the camera and shot some b-roll (pond, pictures, etc.) which he selected himself on where to include in the editing process. It was challenging to get him to have enough patience with the technology and I could feel him getting frustrated and just wanting me to do it all while he just talked. This was not the purpose for me in doing the project and I absolutely had to stand my ground with him on this one: the expert challenging the authority! In the end I’m not sure how empowered he really felt with being able to push the buttons (I think this takes much more than doing it once to even feel a little confident), but I know he felt a great sense of pride with seeing himself on film, being able to share one of his stories and knowing that he helped create a little piece of immortality. He was so proud, in fact, that we had to have a little screening with my mom and the neighbors. We popped the popcorn and watched Earl “The Pearl” in action in his first directorial debut. He was thrilled.

This particular story of his interpretation of a Navajo Indian Raindance was told on several occasions throughout my childhood and has had many incarnations. Without fail, every time he would perform this song, the strangest thing would happen…



It always rained.

(fyi, you must let the video load in its entirety before attempting to play)