ON DEALING WITH EVILDOING IN VISUAL POLITICS THROUGH REFLEXIVE LENSES

Abstract

ABSTRACT

The subject of this article revolves around a reflexive perspective on the logic and practice of evildoing in the realm of visual politics. For this to happen, reflexivity becomes the main method of analysis with the aim of questioning how security practices come into being through visual, spoken and written discourses of Other. Dealing with evildoing in visual politics through reflexive lenses means to advance critical readings on identity formation, beginning with the understanding that relations of Self and Other are constructed according to interactions of dialogues historically implemented by visual and representational processes due to the power of mediation and strategies of depiction. In this connection, aiming to open up a debate about evildoing in visual politics, this article calls attention to the fact that “speaking security” by means of visuality makes part of a politics of offence that is intentionally articulated by those actors possessing power over representational practices. In doing so, the present article is concerned with the dynamics of visual politics, once it serves to promote security practices aimed at creating existential threats in the sense of suspending the normal rules of politics for achieving the interests of privileged actors of IR. This considered, the following investigation is divided into three parts, whereby the chains between them are carefully drawn. The first explains what are evildoing and visual politics. The second part gives special attention to reflexivity in social inquiries. The third brings into light empirical cases of evildoing and their double standard.

Keywords: evildoing, visual politics, reflexivity, identity formation, power of mediation.