Session 4 (a): Communication Breakdowns and Breakthroughs 2

1st Global Conference

Thursday 3rd November – Saturday 5th November 2011
Prague, Czech Republic

What Is Not Seen Is Not Real? The Political Iconography of a Dead Terrorist
David Higgins
School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Jacobs University Bremen, Germany

After U.S. forces killed al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in May 2011, U.S. President Barack Obama and his administration refused to release photographs of the dead body, citing their graphic nature and potential risks to national security (60 Minutes, 2011). Nevertheless, many falsified or “photoshopped” pictures of a dead bin Laden are available on the internet, thus positioning the death of a terrorist in different contexts than the original (Bash & Barrett, 2011; Hill, 2011). This study uses a mixed method of qualitative visual content analysis (iconology) and visual context analysis (cf. Griffin & Lee, 1995; Perlmutter, 1999; Griffin, 2004; Müller, 2005, 2011; Zelizer, 2010) to analyze the false image of a dead bin Laden and the iconographical tradition in which this image-forgery stands. The questions guiding our research are: What are the iconographic patterns and the functional implications of the dilemma of whether to exhibit atrocity images like the “trophy shot” of bin Laden’s body? What is the relationship between documentation, authenticity and propaganda? And – ultimately – what is the power of those images?

Focusing on the most prevalent false death image of bin Laden online, this study analyzes the three image types involved in its creation: 1) The “icon” of the living Osama, which dominates news coverage of his death and has been used in public demonstrations by both his supporters and his detractors; 2) The authentic death image of a real person, such as the Bush administration previously used to illustrate military victories in Iraq (e.g., the photos of the dead bodies of Saddam Hussein’s sons); and 3) The implications of the user-generated “dead Osama” imagery (Frank, 2004; Tait, 2008). This study contrasts government-generated and user-generated political iconography. In conclusion, we present an analysis of the visual patterns and visual communication processes relating to the death imagery of a leading contemporary terrorist.

Taming rhetorical crisis: The Case of Nuclear Waste in Sweden
Helena Nyund
Örebro University, Sweden

As part of a PhD project in rhetorical studies, this case is a work in progress in order to understand how deliberation is affected by rhetorical crisis, and how deliberation might reduce the consequences of crisis. The way of describing a conflict in terms of rhetorical crisis was introduced in 1981, by rhetorical scholars Thomas B. Farrell and Thomas Goodnight. It has shown to be a possible term to describe the historical situation of nuclear waste management in Sweden. (Mral et al 2011)

The Swedish nuclear waste management is considered a good example internationally of how community acceptance is developed concerning high risk industrial projects. (Flynn et al 2005) But it is also an example of how relations between different actors – such as environmental organisations, scientists, government authorities and the nuclear industry – have developed through what could be called communication breakdowns and breakthroughs. A number of conflicts between the industry and local population occurred during the 1980’ies, in connection with site investigations on different locations. These conflicts can be seen as situations in which previously functional communication practices failed and new practices had to be developed. In accordance with theories on crisis development, these situations were also occasions of possibility for actors to meet in dialogue.

The concept of taming rhetorical crisis could be important for the understanding of the present situation of nuclear waste management in Sweden. To this date, a number of different projects have been initiated by the actors involved in order to handle the issue, which will be illuminated in the light of crisis management. Deliberations initiated by the governmental body of the Swedish National Council for Nuclear Waste are in particular focus for this PhD study.

Download Draft Conference Paper (pdf)

Hold Your (Mother) Tongue: Self-censorship as a Strategy for Facilitating Communication in Situations of Cultural Conflict
Chrissie Poulter
Trinity College Dublin and also Leeds Trinity University College Leeds, United Kingdom

‘Hold Your (Mother) Tongue’ was the name given to a series of theatre-based workshops exploring the use of self-censorship on the part of the workshop leader as a strategy for facilitating communication in situations of cultural conflict. A key theme examined was the ways in which our basic communication of guidance when leading such a workshop can be an obstacle to the very thing we are trying to achieve – namely the facilitation of self-expression from the participants. Inscribed as our language is with our world-view, it can serve to unwittingly exclude those whose experience is in any way different. Even the seemingly innocent nature of an opening greeting can serve to culturally exclude rather than include. Participants may all too easily withhold their own cultural communication from the available mix, thereby limiting the possibilities which the cultural richness present in the group could have brought to the encounter and subsequent creative expression. When there are various mother tongues present they are rarely heard, the creative work tending to occur through an agreed common language. In situations of cultural conflict, when using theatre workshops as a strategy to engage with the respective differences within the group, the author of this paper recognised the self-censorship that can occur when participants feel impelled to hold their (mother) tongue or any form of cultural self-reference in order to progress the peace-making process. This paper will present case studies from a project developed between Northern Ireland and the Basque Region of Navarre in the years 2000 to 2003 in which the mother tongues of the creative artists involved became a key motivator. This in turn led to the development of a way of presenting Self to Other in a number of cross-border, ‘cross-community projects on the island of Ireland and the research informing this paper.