Michigan Technological University Digital Commons @ Michigan Tech Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports 2017 A Pedagogy of Witnessing: Linguistic and Visual Frames of the Dark Side in the Multimodal Classroom Lindsay Hingst Michigan Technological University, [email protected] Copyright 2017 Lindsay Hingst Recommended Citation Hingst, Lindsay, "A Pedagogy of Witnessing: Linguistic and Visual Frames of the Dark Side in the Multimodal Classroom", Open Access Dissertation, Michigan Technological University, 2017. https://doi.org/10.37099/mtu.dc.etdr/339 Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.mtu.edu/etdr Part of the Rhetoric Commons A PEDAGOGY OF WITNESSING: LINGUISTIC AND VISUAL FRAMES OF THE DARK SIDE IN THE MULTIMODAL CLASSROOM By Lindsay A. Hingst A DISSERTATION Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY In Rhetoric, Theory and Culture MICHIGAN TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY 2017 ©2017 Lindsay A. Hingst This dissertation has been approved in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in Rhetoric, Theory and Culture. Department of Humanities Dissertation Advisor: Dr. Diane Shoos Committee Member: Dr. Elizabeth Flynn Committee Member: Dr. Karla Kitalong Committee Member: Dr. Ira Allen Department Chair: Dr. Ron Strickland TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ......................................................................................... iv DEFINITIONS ...............................................................................................................v ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................ xii 1 A Pedagogy of Witnessing as Edu-activism ...........................................................1 2 Rhetorical Dimensions of Witnessing: Linguistic Frames of the Dark Side .........52 3 Rhetorical Dimensions of Witnessing: Visual Frames of the Dark Side .............104 4 Rhetorical Witnessing and Multimodal Composition: Responsibility, Response Ability and Working through Trauma .................................................................197 5 Why A Pedagogy of Witnessing? Why Frames of the Dark Side? .....................227 APPENDIX ...............................................................................................................249 iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am extremely grateful to Dr. Diane Shoos whose support and guidance have helped me enormously in both my professional and personal life. I am fortunate to have received mentoring from such an extraordinary writer, researcher, professor, and advocate. I would also like to thank Dr. Karla Kitalong and Dr. Elizabeth Flynn for their immense support and mentoring over the last five years. My work with Dr. Kitalong assisted my research in the multimodal aspect of this project, and Dr. Flynn’s scholarship on witnessing inspired the beginning stages of my research. I would like to thank Dr. Ira Allen as well who came to my committee late in the game. His inspirational work ethic and helpful feedback helped me work through many frustrating stages of the writing process. This work would not have been possible without the moral support and consistent encouragement I have received from my family. To my mother—my first teacher—who always pushed me to maximize my full potential: throughout my life, you have emphasized the value of a good education. Thank you for always teaching me to think critically and have an open mind. To my father, who bought me countless books on history and war: thank you for challenging my political viewpoints and the importance of a strong work ethic. To my extended family and friends, thank you for supporting me throughout this long and arduous journey. I am deeply grateful to all of you. Finally, a special thanks to my son, Grady. You are the light of my life and my raison d’être. Thank you for teaching me selflessness, patience, and unconditional love. I am a better person because of you. iv DEFINITIONS Agency- A process whereas rhetorical agency “is the capacity to influence the form and shape of a rhetorical culture” which can be “shaped both in a material sense and a sociological sense” (Greer, Kairos News). Human beings exist as both actors and shapers who are acted upon and shaped by their rhetorical cultures (which include written, oral and visual modes of communication). Greer claims that we do not have a choice when it comes to whether we have agency or not, but we do have a choice in terms of what we do with our agency. Altruism- selfless and voluntary behaviors, “motivated by the desire to help another individual” (Marsh). Anchorage- linguistic element provided to direct the meaning of an image (Barthes, Image-Music-Text, 156). Aperture- absorbs light from the scene through an opening, hole, or gap (Bordwell and Thompson 162). Atrocity- involves culpable wrongdoing that occurs on a mass scale. Genocides, massacres, mass murder, torturing prisoners, and rape warfare are all examples of what constitutes an atrocity (Card 5). Bearing witness- the heart of rhetorical witnessing; remains an active process that includes the triad of rhetor, symbols, and audience a rhetorical process of speaker, audience and text (Peters 709) Camera- derives from the Latin term for “chamber,” or “a vaulted room” (Merriam- Webster). The first camera, invented in 1685 by Johan Zahn, evolved from the camera obscura (or “dark room” in Latin), followed by other photographic technologies such as daguerreotypes, calotypes, dry plates, film, and digital cameras (PBS.org). In 1885, George Eastman—inventor of Kodiak—invented moving film (PBS.org). Cinematography- literally means “writing in movement” (Bordwell and Thompson 162). Connotative meaning- meaning varies depending upon the viewer and context (Barthes, Image-Music-Text). Dehumanizing propaganda- a technique that portrays a targeted scapegoat by using animalistic caricatures (Shabo 129). The purpose of using this method is to dehumanize those the state wants to exterminate from society. “The agenda to eliminate an entire population is rarely stated openly,” rather it is more effective to subliminally implement ideas of the dehumanized “Other” that is “framed” a certain way to saturate a racist ideology within the culture (129). Denotative meaning- literal; dictionary definition (Barthes, Image-Music-Text) v Deliberation- “the act of thinking about or discussing something and deciding carefully” (Merriam-Webster). Ethical spectatorship- a tension between the desire to look and the politics of recognition (Kozol 14-5). The term “ethical spectatorship” considers notions of voyeurism and spectatorship to address problems with gazing upon images of human suffering. Frame- Is “not a neutral border; it imposes a certain vantage point” by defining the size, shape, height, distance, and angle of the shot (Bordwell and Thompson 182). Significantly, the frame defines onscreen and off-screen space (182). Framing- From a technical standpoint, relies on the positioning of the lens in terms of angle (i.e. high, low, straight on), level (parallel to the horizon or tipped), height (i.e. high, low, straight on), and distance (extreme long shot, long shot, medium long shot, medium shot, medium close-up, close-up, and extreme close-up) (Bordwell and Thompson 190-1). The Framing of the Frame- takes into consideration the underlying systems of power (e.g. the political economy, military directives, and dominant bourgeois ideology) responsible for structuring the frame (Butler 74). The Gaze- refers to the objectifying process whereby the eye fixes upon another person as a thing (or objet petite a) in a way that reveals power dynamics between individuals (Lacan). Laura Mulvey’s research expanded upon Lacan’s work by exploring the sexual objectification of the female form by the male gaze. Mulvey’s work examines voyeurism and scopophelia. Although these concepts emerged from film studies, the power of the gaze also applies to art and photography. To Kozol, the gaze is an apparatus of power that creates a stereo-typified view of life in the Middle East wherein the ethnic “Other” represents a brute savage in comparison to Americans who are portrayed as the rational, just, and civilized agent (8). Iconic war photography- “a mode of cultural production. It helps shape history” (Tagg 246). At the same time, these photographs are myths. Image-flow- the political economy not only underlies the “framing” of news stories, it determines whose stories are “worthy” or “unworthy” of being told (Herman and Chomsky xx). Image-glut- an insatiable desire to expose oneself to violent images (Sontag 20). Judgment- the way we form an opinion based on evidence and our moral values (Merriam-Webster). Justification- “…the mental activity of responding to particular situations in a way that draws upon our sensations, beliefs, and emotions without being dictated by them…” (Garsten 7). vi Lens- creates a depth of field between itself and an object of focus to compose a foreground and background of the shot (Bordwell and Thompson 162). Lighting- develops highlights and shadows to create a sense of spatial relations among people and objects. Hard light creates “defined shadows, crisp textures, and sharp edges” whereas soft light refers to “diffused illumination” (Bordwell and Thompson 126). Linguistics- the scientific study of language and its structures (Barthes, Image, Music, Text, 156). Media witnessing- “live” broadcast news as a testimonial genre which