Seeing Culture Latin America 2007

1. Seeing CultureLatin America 2007 Office of International Outreach at Texas A&M University Lauren Cifuentes Sanser Bulu B. Stephen Carpenter II

2. Our understanding of visuals comes from prior experiences which differ across individuals as a result of cultural experience.

4. Introduction to Seeing Culture • Culture = “beliefs, customs, values, behaviors, institutions, and communication patterns that are shared, learned, and passed down through generations in an identifiable group” (Davis, 2004).

5. Cross-cultural Understanding • Might be supported as never before because of Internet affordances. • Affordances of Internet technologies- Cultural represenations can be- • published • viewed • analyzed • assessed • shared, and • discussed

6. Rationale and Theoretical Framework • Distributed constructionism (Papert, 1991; Resnick, 1996; Salomon, 1994) • Telecollaboration prepares learners for global citizenship • Cultural Historical Activity Theory • Criticality of social negotiation

7. Learners can express themselves through visuals as well as words • Visual representations of understanding can be assessed for mechanics, composition, symbolic clarity, and depth • Learners can analyze each others’ visuals and share interpretations to develop broader perspective

8. Interpretive Principles and Methodologies • Visual Culture “A tactic with which to study the genealogy, definition and functions of postmodern everyday life from the point of view of the consumer, rather than the producer” (Mirzoeff, 2001). “All that is humanly formed and sensed through vision or visualization and shapes the way we live our lives” (Freedman, 2003) Visuals are not universally understood with one meaning. They are culturally specific.

9. Some Methods for Analyzing Visuals (Rose, 2001) • Description • Compositional interpretation • Content analysis • Semiology • Psychoanalysis • Discourse analysis • Guiding principles of art criticism

13. Design, Forms, and Functions of Seeing Culture • Goals- users grow in understanding of visual culture and visual literacy Provide for… • sharing visuals • Easy navigation • Categorizing visuals according to cultural message • Discussion of visuals, evolving interpretations • Flexible design to allow for repurposing

14. Applications Our students are the first producers and consumers. • Contemporary Visual Culture • Computer Graphics for Learning

15. Name general characteristics of a target culture Examine your own culture in relation to the variables explored. Hofstede’ Cultural Dimensions (1997)- • Power Distance • Uncertainty Avoidance • Masculinity/Femininity • Collectivistic/Individualistic • Confucian Dynamism

16. Comparison Texas • One person • Local theme • Many labels • Place oriented • Individualistic Mexico • Many people • Universal theme • Few labels • Event oriented • Collectivistic

17. School Cultures

18. Research Questions • How, when, and why do responses to visuals evolve as learners socially negotiate meanings of images and concepts? • What are the outcomes of offering multiple interpretations of visual culture to readers/learners? • What are the advantages and disadvantages of applying the Internet to meet the goal of a broadened worldview?

19. Educational Significance • Curricular- the value of visual literacy, readings will vary • Pedagogical and andragogical- social construction of meaning • Cultural- global citizenship

20. Lauren Cifuentes laurenc@tamu.edu • Sanser Bulu sanser@tamu.edu • B. Stephen Carpenter II bscarpenter@tamu.edu