Longoria 1

David Longoria Lopez

Emily Litle

English Composition 1

14 February 2021

Discussion Questions for Luc Pauwels “Visual Literacy and Visual Culture”

Visual Construction of reality: role and functionality

1. Every day I see advertisements that try to convince me to buy stuff from them. Also, In

sport ads, I see them posting about soccer teams like if they were trying to get me to go

for them. (to encourage me) Stop lights and caution signs manage and control our

decisions about and make us feel safe.

2. I believe Pauwell is correct because now everyone has it and is present everywhere.

There is technology everywhere, our cellphones, computers, other mobile devices. I have

to agree with Pauwell because technology helps make sense of what is going on and

capture moments that matter to them. For example, when you go to the dentist, you don’t

tell or message your friends, but rather send a picture of you being at the Dentist.

Enhancing visual literacy

3. Pauwell says that we are visually illiterate, and our images are not “universally

understandable”. That is because at best one only recognizes what is represented, but one

fails to recognize the underlying connection and well as the expressive codes applied.

Because of that, some context is often remained unknown. And that a verbal elucidation
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is needed or knowledge in that context, to make sense of it. The difficulties in making

proper context when deciphering the meaning of images or other visual stuff.

4. That for us to cultivate visual literacy, we need to design structured, codified set of skills.

Also, strategies that are taught all over the world, and are recognized and known

throughout the world (Universal).

Verbal cultural vs image cultural

5. So, basically, he is saying that the verbal group is blaming the Image (visual) culture for

the declining of the writing word. Saying that it makes people mentally lazy and, in my

opinion, that sounds true. Not paying so much attention socially. Saying it disconnects

people from reality. The Image (Visual) culture goes on to say that it is better because

you can get more information out of it and it will create a more informed world.

What pauwell thinks is that both are dumb for arguing because both are in

different positions (like not playing in the same position, so it is dumb to compare

them) and that visual media comes from the written word (Verbal culture).

6. Visual culture refers to anything that is observable and able to look at directly. And the

way it is used to understand them. It is important to study it because it can drastically

improve relationships and communications between cultures. And help when something

is misunderstanding.