Dr. A.W.M. (Willem) Koetsenruijter
Leiden University, the Netherlands
Dept. Journalism & New Media koets@wxs.nl
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Image management
… carefully composed and chosen to communicate specific ideas about leadership and power
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Hofstede’s theory on cultural values
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Four dimensions individualism – collectivism uncertainty avoidance power distance masculinity – femininity
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GENERAL OUTLINE
RESEARCH QUESTION
By what Rhetorical Means is Power established in Media Portraits of
Political Leaders?
THEORY
Power Distance (Hofstede), Social Distance Theory (Hall, Bogardus),
Semiotics (Kress & Van Leeuwen), Rhetoric.
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SOCIAL DISTANCE
“ the lack of availability and relational openness – of variable intensity – of a subject in regard to others, perceived and acknowledged as different on the basis of their inclusion in a social category.
It is the result of the dynamic interaction of factors situated on three different dimensions of space: physical, symbolic and geometrical.
(Cesareo, 2007, p11)
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SIX VARIABLES
NoC: Nature of Candidate
PoV: Point of View
FEx: Facial Expression
ImA: Image Act
INt: Interaction
PDi: Physical Distance
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NATURE OF CANDIDATE
1.
Family type
2.
Outdoor type
3.
Father- mother type
4.
Glad to see you
5.
Relaxed leader
6.
Dynamic Speaker
7.
Media star
8.
Stressed leader
9.
Promised leader
PSD small
PSD big
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NATURE OF CANDIDATE
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NATURE OF CANDIDATE
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NATURE OF CANDIDATE
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NATURE OF CANDIDATE
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NATURE OF CANDIDATE
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NATURE OF CANDIDATE
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NATURE OF CANDIDATE
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NATURE OF CANDIDATE
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NATURE OF CANDIDATE
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POINT OF VIEW
1.
Camera equals point of view
2.
Camera higher than point of view
3.
Camera lower than point of view
PSD small
PSD big
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POINT OF VIEW: Equal, social distance = low
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POINT OF VIEW: High: social distance high
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POINT OF VIEW: Low: social distance high
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PHYSICAL DISTANCE
1.
Intimate
2.
Close personal
3.
Far personal
4.
Close social
5.
Far social
6.
Public
PSD small
PSD big
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DISTANCE: intimate, social distance = low
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DISTANCE: close personal, social distance = low
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DISTANCE: far personal
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DISTANCE: close social
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DISTANCE: far social
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DISTANCE: public, social distance = high
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POINT OF VIEW
1.
Camera equals point of view
2.
Camera higher than point of view
3.
Camera lower than point of view
PSD small
PSD big
Value perceived social distance (PSD) = 1 / (n of possible values) = 0,33
1 = 0,33
2 = 0,66
3 = 0,99
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PHYSICAL DISTANCE
1.
Intimate
2.
Close personal
3.
Far personal
4.
Close social
5.
Far social
6.
Public
PSD small
PSD big
Value perceived physical distance (PPD) = 1 / (n of possible values) = 0,167
1 = 0,167 4 = 0,67
2 = 0,33
3 = 0,83
5 = 0,85
6 = 0,99
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SIX VARIABLES
The six variables form a compound scale to measure Perceived Social Distance (PSD):
(NOC + POV + INT + DIST + FAC + IMA) = PSD
Scale’s homogenity Cronbach’s Alpha = 0.65.
Inter coder reliability on the separate variables Krippendorff’s alpha >0.8
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HYPOTHESES
H
1
: The use of rhetorical means can be explained from a model based on increasing or decreasing Social Distance.
H
2
: Social Distance is closely connected to Power Distance.
H
3
: Photographs show a difference in Social Distance in photographs from leaders from a High Power Distance Country and a Low Power Distance
Country.
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Google Images as a Collection stereotypes
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Google Images as a Collection stereotypes
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600 photographs
Content analysis on a random sample from 600 Google Images
300 x Obama and
300 x Khadaffi
United States = Low Power Distance country, Hofstede’s index .40
Libya = High Power Distance Country, Hofstede’s index .80
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RESULTS
Mean difference Obama vs Khadaffi
Nature of Candidate 2,9*
Point of View
Facial Expression
Image Act
Interaction
Psysical distance
0,3*
1,4*
1,6*
0,7*
0,6*
*Sig t = < .01
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RESULTS
The compound scale:
Obama =
Khadaffi =
*(t = 24,7 / p <.001; r = .86)
PSD = 2,5
PSD = 3,7*
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RESULTS
H
1
:
H
2
:
H
3
:
The use of rhetorical means can be explained from a model based on increasing or decreasing Social Distance.
-> Confirmed! All differences on the scale were significant and pointed in the same direction.
Social Distance is closely connected to Power Distance.
-> Confirmed! High power distance is connected with high social distance.
Photographs show a difference in Social Distance in photographs from leaders from a High Power Distance Country and a Low Power Distance
Country.
-> Confirmed! Pictures from US President Obama scored significantly lower in social distance than pictures from the Libyan leader Khadaffi.
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DISCUSSION
- How good a sample is Google Images? Can the research be replicated other photo data banks? (Getty, Press Photo agencies, etc.) with
- Can we replicate this research with photographs from photographers from specific low and high power distance countries? (search امابوأ , Обаму, or オバマ )
- Can we replicate this research with other leaders. (Obama and Khadaffi were extremes.)
- Can the scale be used as a predictive tool? Can we produce photographs with a predicted social distance?
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