Fix Your Gaze

My central focus for this portfolio is on “framing” and how framing creates a mask, barring society from the truth of reality. You may ask, “what is framing?” Framing is the manipulation of reality through media, language and education which tells incomplete truths or, perhaps, blatant lies. Framing is used by structures of power—business, government, and dominant identities—to suppress acknowledgement of an undesirable reality or to manipulate the public. You may find this to be corrupt or you may find this to be necessary for peace and order. 

“To frame is to exclude,” as Susan Sontag notes. Exclusion gives purpose to what is included. Those in power get to decide what to include and what to exclude. Framing is performed on current events, history, and identity and can occur on macro or micro levels, affecting different quantities of people with different effects. For example, President Quillen suggested in the first unit that our understanding of history is framed by the artifacts which have survived. In unit 2, we studied conceptual schemes and paradigms. Framing influences our conceptual schemes by limiting our understanding of the whole truth. Framing was initially brought up in unit 3 as we discussed the framing of war photography and its impacts on foreign involvement in events such as the Rwandan genocide. Since unit 3, I have pondered “framing” and the complex ways it impacts our knowledge and human experience. Unit 4 on race and religion helped me understand how people can frame each others’ experience. Today in America, we commonly adhere to a neoliberalist frame which refuses to acknowledge the institutionalized injustices remaining in our system. This portfolio highlights my first semester experience which has peeled back my neoliberal “mask” and encouraged me to think critically about my perspective.

Under the “Originals” tab, you can find a photograph, a podcast series and blackout poetry. My photograph focuses on a visitor in the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and her decision to look away from an image in the exhibit. The podcast is a collaboration with McNeill Franklin and Skylar McVicar. We discussed framing, identity and body image. I chose blackout poetry because it is a framing of the original piece. Blackout puts a mask on the original work and its meaning.

I chose to revise two essays for this portfolio because they each explain different ways in which framing is used in society today. Additionally, I revised posts from each unit of study and my commentary on Common Ground’s Panel on Microaggressions. These can be found under the “Revisions” tab.

Under “Definitions,” you can find my working definitions for “Humanities,” “humanities,” and “revolution.” You may be wondering, “what is the difference between Humanities and humanities?” (H)umanities is the program at Davidson College in which this portfolio is assigned for. (h)umanities is a form of study which is comprised of many fields such as language, philosophy, and others. I have defined “humanities” as it is studied within the Humanities program. Following my definition of “revolution,” I have provided images referenced in my definition as well as images of my notes on Lapham’s Quarterly: Revolutions.

About me:

• I am from Fayetteville, Arkansas
• My intended major is economics with a minor in Hispanic Studies
• I have one sibling—a nine year old sister; we are nine years apart
• I am a coffee fiend
• My ideal day features coffee, friends, a boat on the lake and a surfboard.
• I am inspired by (obsessed with) Melinda and Bill Gates’ and their philanthropic commitment; My dream job is program direction at their foundation.

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank Dr. Scott Denham, Dr. Carol Quillen, Dr. David Robb, Dr. Yurika Tamura, Dr. Anne Wills, Dr. Alison Bory, Dr. Greta. Munger and Dr. Amanda Ewington for their devotion to this course and my academic experience. I would also like to thank my fellow humsters for listening intently, sharing critical ideas and forming friendships that will last a lifetime.

Photographs