Co-hosted by the International Inequalities Institute, and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. Co-produced with Lewis Bush.
This workshop responds to a finding in a review of literature on the framing of wealth inequality which identified a mismatch between the critical content of some media engagement and campaigning around wealth inequality, and the passive or uncritical use of imagery as illustration.
In this workshop we will explore the implications for media and campaigning visualisation strategies of some more of the review findings: For example, we found that the rich are frequently legitimised in the media but their role in determining the rules that protect their wealth is less well-covered; that people are more likely to support redistribution if they perceive the systems by which great wealth has been accumulated to be unfair; that there are ways to use advantage frames to increase opposition to high levels of wealth inequality by targeting the specific forms of wealth/wealth ownership that the public feels are illegitimate. These findings prompt us to ask whether images can participate more actively in political communication around wealth inequality, to make explicit, for example, the unfair processes of wealth accumulation and concentration, rather than defaulting to images of specific things only rich people can buy (yachts, posh cars).
Speakers including Di Smyth (British Journal of Photography), Johny Pitts (writer and phtographer), Lewis Bush (photographer), Michael Vaughan (LSE), Sarah Kerr (LSE), and Jo Littler (Goldsmiths) will introduce two two conversations. Conversation 1 looks at the ‘universe of images’ of wealth, the wealthy, and wealth inequality used in the media and by campaigning organisations. Conversation 2 looks at critical photography’s engagement with economic inequality in general and wealth inequality in particular. Activity 3 takes forward the collaborative development of our ‘key terms and images toolbox’, and ethical story-telling principles for wealth inequality, this time looking at the role and content of images.
Full programme available on Thursday 2nd May.
Photo credit: Lewis Bush, Grangemouth, from 11 Privatised Public Assets at lewisbush.com
