"We are becoming more conscious of how we present ourselves and how others perceive us" (2010, pg.498). This is Marshall's definition of what he calls the Specular Economy. People may deny it, but everyone does their best to look the part before they head out. Whether it be to impress a friend, a partner or a future employer, we generally 'check' ourselves before we leave (Marshall, 2010, pp. 499). We do this checking of ourselves as in this day and age we are all subject to, and fear judgement from others. Mirrors generally provide the medium for us to check, and mirrors can be seen as a re-presentation of ourselves on a screen (Marshall, 2010, pp. 499). Moving into the world of globalisation now and Web2.0 technologies, we see that we re-present ourselves now for the online world. Marshall (pp.499) writes that in the online world we are producing a persona for our online network of 'friends' to see. We are re-producing an image of ourselves to a wider audience but it may not be an accurate representation. Marshall writes (pp. 499) that there is an aspect of fame that the online world presents to the average person in society. We see celebrities being judged in magazines and people point out strengths and weaknesses in the images they see. With social media profiles, people have the ability to place what pictures of themselves they like, with people generally placing photos up that they are confident they look good in. This gives a false sense of appeal akin to a celebrity in a magazine as people are allowing their 'image' to be judged, with the more likes giving the person more confidence. Marshall writes that “Celebrity still has become comfortably part of the new specular economy, but it has changed the way that public personas are conveyed and celebrated.” This is an accurate summary noting that celebrity has transitioned to the social network. The world is now a specular economy with the rise in popularity of seeing what other people are doing and comparing yourself to them through the virtual medium.
References:
Marshall, D 2010, 'The Specular Economy', Society, vol. 47, no. 6, pp. 498-502
Marshall, D 2010, 'The Specular Economy', Society, vol. 47, no. 6, pp. 498-502
Hey,
ReplyDeleteOnce again you prove in depth knowledge into Globalization. I believe everyone is involved in the ‘specular economy’. I don’t know a single person whom doesn’t check the mirror before leaving the house. We adhere to cultural hegemony to escape from societal judgment. How we dress, our haircuts… how we act in crowded areas are all a part of our representation and how we want others to see us. As you explain, social media is an even greater platform for this form representation too. Each of us has online personas that keep our identities (especially celebrities) away from an increasingly hypercritical post-modern society. What people see of us in public and online are just fabricated identities that represent conformity to social practice.
- David.
Hi Christopher!
ReplyDeleteThis blog post is excellent, I really liked how you compared how we physically present ourselves on a daily basis, and how this is reflects on our technological behaviour. I found this statement intriguing, and I must agree with you. You have presented your discussion well, and it shows that you clearly understand the implications surrounding a false representation of self in the virtual world. However, with the inclusion of an example your entire post would have become a lot stronger. Your post flows well; it has a lovely rhythm, which draws in the reader. However, do consider changing your word font, it makes your post difficult to read, and distracts from your argument.
A very enlightening post on the effects of specular economy!
Thanks!