JS-4.3
Maria's Bag. Negotiating Identity and Belonging through Old and New Visual Media.
This paper unfolds Maria’s narrative under two main themes: belonging and mediation. An non-media-centric media studies approach (Moores, 2012) allows to accentuate the contextual conditions of media pragmatics, as well as the complex dynamics between media, institutions, technology and politics. A focus on processes of belonging sets the frame to inquire the deeds of networked photography (Gomez-Cruz, 2012; Lehmuskallio, 2012) and the relevance of place and time as variables in mediated interactions (Lapenta, 2011; Villi, 2014, 2016).
How do old and new media aid Maria in her self-presentation? How does Maria include/exclude others from her circle of reference? Why does Maria hold so tightly onto her sd-cards and paper copies of digital snaps? An ethnographic visual narrative approach (Bach, 2007; Connelly & Clandinin, 1990; Lapenta, 2006) and the subsequent visually crafted account intends to offer answers to these questions.