the cultural affects of national geographic Essay examples -- essays r

Thailand is a country enveloped in much mystery and cultural tradition. This fact is reflected very understandably in a series of pictures taken from the article, The Many Faces of Thailand in the February 1996 issue of the National Geographic mag, titled, Into the Heart of Glaciers I will attempt to analyze the vogue in which the pictures portray the richness of Thailands culture and people and prove this statement about the National Geographics photography, They originated in a take care for ways of teaching about the third world that did not objectify and were not paternalistic but that fostered both a sense of how lives around the world are interconnected and a capacity for empathetic understanding. (Collins, Lutz 3)A good portion of its text and photographs is devoted to images of the peoples and cultures of the third world. (Collins, Lutz 1) This quote taken out of, reading material National Geographic, is proven very true by my use of this article about Thailand. Nationa l Geographic magazine has always tried to create touch on in third world countries through its photographic spreads and draw people into contact with a much wider set of cultural ideas (Collins, Lutz 1) The first photograph ground in this series is one of a Buddhist watching. It includes much artistry and focus and teaches the reader many things about Thailands culture. The first thing that I noticed about the picture was that it is dominated by anthropoids. There are no females in this photograph and the ages of the males vary greatly showing a male dominance being present in the cultural hierarchy. The photo is very dark, causing the reader to focus on the subjects rather than the background. Jodi Cobb, the photographer, portrays the harmony and continuity which is traditionally the spirit found amongst the Thai people by showing the men donning monks robes and holding candles, incense and lotus blossoms. Capturing a photograph of a cultural ceremony is very effective in educa ting an audience about a country. An omniscient, unbiased stance is being achieved by the photographer in this shot because there is no indication of good or bad throughout this photograph, it is simply the reflection of a ceremony in order to more appreciate Thai culture. The magazine attempts to articulate a national vision, ... ...eaders to see and understand the respect that Thai people have for animals and nature. Throughout this collection of photographs many different things have been intentional about Thailand. Even without reading the article, I have seen a lot of cultural differences between America and Thailand and even between the Thai people themselves. close to readings reinforce American illusions of cultural superiority and paternalism, while others entail an engagement with the subject photographed, identification across cultural boundaries, the awakening of a curiosity that whitethorn be politically invigorating. (Collins, Lutz 11)In this issue of National Geogr aphic the article, The Many Faces of Thailand, really did show the many faces of this country. Each photograph of the collection portrayed a different piece of Thailands cultural puzzle and than fit together to illustrate the harmony, celebration, vivaciousness and even depression of the nations people. BibliographyCollins, Jane L. and Lutz, Catherine A. Reading National Geographic. University of boodle Press Chicago, 1993. National Geographic Volume 189 No. 2, Into the Heart of Glaciers February 1996