History, Power & Visual Communication Artefacts

Key Concepts

• Material culture governs behaviours, identities, thoughts.

• Visual communication artefacts (VCAs) = any artefact whose primary function is to convey visual information (ads, logos, websites, signage, uniforms, etc.).

• VCAs are never neutral; they reinforce or challenge prevailing ideologies.

• Historical study should treat VCAs as primary evidence for power/ideology analyses.

Historian’s Context & Judgements

• Pyrrhonic scepticism & Marc Bloch: historian’s own context inevitably shapes history.

• $\text{First\ order\ judgements}$: immediate, unconscious perceptions; heavily context-bound.

• $\text{Second\ order\ judgements}$: reflective, conscious interpretations; even more subjective.

• Valuable history reveals the interplay between these judgements and the subject matter.

Foucauldian Power & Governmentality

• Power = dispersed process/capacity, not a commodity.

• Governmentality: “conduct of conduct”—structuring possible actions of individuals/groups.

• Power, knowledge, and communication are inseparable; VCAs operate within this triad.

Artefacts as Rhetorical Governance

• VCAs act through persuasion (rhetoric) to alter attitudes/behaviours.

• Artefacts create “truth effects” that stabilise certain worldviews as common sense.

• The farther an artefact travels in time/space/culture, the weaker its original governing force and the more likely it gains new meanings.

Embodied Discourse Technologies (EDTs)

• VCAs embody discourses via EDTs: mechanisms that carry governance ideologies.

• Anatomy (after Rose):

  • $\text{Forces}$ – broad knowledge forms enabling discourse (e.g., language).

  • $\text{Techniques}$ – strategies/effects that shape meaning (e.g., using national motto).

  • $\text{Devices}$ – concrete material/visual elements (e.g., individual words, icons).

• Two common EDT categories:

  • $\text{Content}$ – symbols, text, imagery.

  • $\text{Form}$ – shape, material, production method.

Methodological Implications for Historians

• Identify forces, techniques, devices in artefact’s content & form.

• Compare EDTs to spatial–temporal context to uncover governing discourses.

• Artefact collections can be read as visual arguments (enthymemes) revealing ideological shifts.

• VCAs supplement textual archives, offering insights unavailable through words alone.

Practical Takeaways

• Treat every VCA as a potential site of power exchange.

• Document production technology, date, location; these modulate rhetorical force.

• Analyse mismatched artefacts in one setting to trace competing discourses.

• Use EDT framework to maintain rigour while acknowledging subjectivity.

Key Concepts

• Material culture governs behaviours, identities, thoughts. This means that the objects, spaces, and media we create and interact with fundamentally shape how we act, who we perceive ourselves to be, and what we believe. Material culture isn't merely a reflection of society, but an active force in its ongoing construction.

• Visual communication artefacts (VCAs) = any artefact whose primary function is to convey visual information (ads, logos, websites, signage, uniforms, etc.). These are the specific material expressions through which visual culture operates.

• VCAs are never neutral; they reinforce or challenge prevailing ideologies. Every design choice, every image, every layout carries implicit messages that either support the dominant way of thinking or offer an alternative perspective.

• Historical study should treat VCAs as primary evidence for power/ideology analyses. Instead of just secondary illustrations, VCAs offer direct insight into the power structures and ideological battles of their time.

Historian’s Context & Judgements

• Pyrrhonic scepticism & Marc Bloch: The historian, much like Pyrrho, must acknowledge that their own cultural, social, and personal context inevitably shapes their perception and interpretation of history. Marc Bloch emphasized that historians are products of their own time and place, and this subjectivity is an inherent part of the historical process, not a barrier to it.

• $\text{First\ order\ judgements}$: These are immediate, intuitive, and often unconscious perceptions or reactions to a VCA. They are heavily context-bound, meaning they are influenced by the viewer's personal experiences, cultural background, and the social norms present at the time of viewing. For example, a modern viewer's initial reaction to a colonial-era advertisement.

• $\text{Second\ order\ judgements}$: These are reflective, conscious interpretations built upon the first-order judgments. They involve critical analysis, research, and an attempt to understand the historical context, yet they remain susceptible to the historian's own biases and frameworks. This involves deeper engagement, questioning the initial reaction, and placing it within a broader historical understanding.

• Valuable history reveals the interplay between these judgements and the subject matter. The best historical analysis explicitly recognizes and explores how the historian's own situatedness interacts with the evidence, leading to a richer, more nuanced understanding.

Foucauldian Power & Governmentality

• Power = dispersed process/capacity, not a commodity. Unlike traditional views that see power as something possessed by an individual or institution, Foucault argues power is everywhere, operating through various relationships, practices, and discourses, constantly shifting and evolving.

• Governmentality: “conduct of conduct”—structuring possible actions of individuals/groups. This concept describes the rationalities and techniques through which individuals and populations are guided, shaped, and managed. It's about influencing behavior indirectly rather than through direct force.

• Power, knowledge, and communication are inseparable; VCAs operate within this triad. VCAs both produce and are produced by knowledge, and they function as a means of communication that exercises a subtle form of power by shaping what is considered true or desirable.

Artefacts as Rhetorical Governance

• VCAs act through persuasion (rhetoric) to alter attitudes/behaviours. They don't just present information; they aim to convince, influence, and move an audience toward a particular way of thinking or acting.

• Artefacts create “truth effects” that stabilise certain worldviews as common sense. Through repeated exposure and cultural acceptance, the messages embedded in VCAs can make specific ideas, values, or hierarchies appear natural, obvious, or universally true, thus naturalizing certain power relations.

• The farther an artefact travels in time/space/culture, the weaker its original governing force and the more likely it gains new meanings. A VCA created for a specific purpose in one era or place may lose its original persuasive impact when viewed in a different context, often acquiring unintended or reinterpreted meanings.

Embodied Discourse Technologies (EDTs)

• VCAs embody discourses via EDTs: mechanisms that carry governance ideologies. These are the specific tools and methods embedded within a VCA that transmit and reinforce underlying societal norms, beliefs, and power structures.

• Anatomy (after Rose):

  • $\text{Forces}$ – broad knowledge forms enabling discourse (e.g., language, scientific paradigms like evolution, economic theories like capitalism, or social constructs like race/gender). These are the overarching frameworks that make certain ways of speaking or thinking possible.

  • $\text{Techniques}$ – strategies/effects that shape meaning (e.g., using a national motto to evoke patriotism, employing specific color schemes to suggest luxury, or framing an image to imply authority). These are the specific rhetorical or artistic methods employed.

  • $\text{Devices}$ – concrete material/visual elements (e.g., individual words, specific icons, precise typography, a unique corporate logo, or a particular architectural feature). These are the smallest, tangible components that make up the VCA.

• Two common EDT categories:

  • $\text{Content}$ – symbols, text, imagery. This refers to what is explicitly depicted or stated within the VCA.

  • $\text{Form}$ – shape, material, production method. This refers to how the VCA is physically manifested, including its design principles, the materials used (e.g., marble for permanence, plastic for disposability), and the process of its creation (e.g., mass-produced vs. handcrafted).

Methodological Implications for Historians

• Identify forces, techniques, devices in artefact’s content & form. This systematic approach allows historians to deconstruct the VCA and understand its constituent ideological elements.

• Compare EDTs to spatial–temporal context to uncover governing discourses. By examining how specific EDTs were deployed within a particular historical moment and place, historians can reveal the dominant and competing ideologies of that era. For example, analyzing the use of classical imagery in revolutionary France.

• Artefact collections can be read as visual arguments (enthymemes) revealing ideological shifts. An enthymeme is an argument where one or more premises are left unstated, but are understood by the audience. Collections of VCAs, over time, implicitly make arguments about changing social values or power dynamics.

• VCAs supplement textual archives, offering insights unavailable through words alone. Visual material can convey emotions, hierarchical relationships, or cultural nuances that are difficult to articulate solely through written documents.

Practical Takeaways

• Treat every VCA as a potential site of power exchange. Understand that even seemingly innocuous visual objects can be instruments of social influence and control.

• Document production technology, date, location; these modulate rhetorical force. Knowing how, when, and where a VCA was made provides crucial context for interpreting its intended impact and effectiveness. For instance, a hand-drawn poster vs. a printed advertisement.

• Analyse mismatched artefacts in one setting to trace competing discourses. When different VCAs with conflicting messages exist simultaneously in the same environment, it indicates a struggle between different ideologies or power groups. For example, protest posters alongside official government signage.

• Use EDT framework to maintain rigour while acknowledging subjectivity. The EDT framework provides a structured method for analysis, helping historians to move beyond purely subjective interpretations by grounding their observations in concrete elements of the VCA.