The potential of visual culture in modern studies of ethnocultural identity

Afanasevskaia Natalia Vladimirovna ORCID: 0009-0002-2204-391X Senior Lecturer; Department of European Languages; Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation 53/2 Ostozhenka str., building 1, room 454, Moscow, 119021, Russia afanassievskaya@gmail.com

Research on ethnocultural identity has recently aroused great interest and is becoming especially relevant in the light of the ambiguous influence of globalization and multiculturalism policy on the interaction of ethnocultural communities, an increase in interethnic disputes and conflicts, and the growing fear of the loss of ethnocultural identity, which sometimes provokes a surge of radical movements.

"The multidirectional and contradictory socio-cultural transformations of recent decades ... have provoked crisis phenomena in the field of collective identity. As a result of these changes, the coordinate system of social integration, communities of various kinds ..., including ethnic ones, is being rebuilt" ^[1].

The idea of renouncing one's ethnocultural identity, promoted by globalists, often does not find a response, and the idea of constantly constructing, independently "choosing" an identity, renouncing one's roots does not show itself productive. We agree with M.N. Chistanov, who believes that "... the obvious critical exact constructivist paradigm was and will always remain directly observable and tangible within the framework of one ethnic community, external similarity, unity of language, mentality and, until recently, the economic way of people" ^[2].

The feeling of one's ethnic and cultural identity is still a human need, the key to understanding oneself, one's place in the world. As I.A. Zakiryanova rightly notes, "ethnocultural identity, which is based on time-tested values, ideals, and life meanings of an ethnic community - the most reliable social group that provides a person with the necessary measure of safety and protection - on the rules and norms that regulate behavior, gives a person the opportunity to build harmonious relationships with the outside world" ^[3].

The question of the non-identity of modern cultural identity to ethnocultural patterns remains open. A number of researchers believe that "a person's awareness of belonging to a certain culture may occupy a higher position than ethnicity within the hierarchy of personal and collectively shared values" ^[4]. In particular, R.S. Lavo notes that "if ethnocultural identity prevailed in the twentieth century, then in the 21st century cultural identity came first", which is explained by the development of information and network society ^[4].

In our opinion, this statement is not entirely true. As a result of the crisis phenomena in culture and society, caused, among other things, by globalization and digitalization, it is the issues of ethnic and cultural belonging that come to the fore. Moreover, not national, but ethnic and cultural identity dominates in cases where there is a threat of discrimination, infringement, loss of identity. Despite the migration processes and the problems of self-determination caused by globalization, the issue of ethnic/ethno-cultural identity cannot be ignored. For example, in France, one of the founding countries of the European Union, few people identify themselves primarily as a European, when asked about self-identification they are more likely to say "I am French", and in regions such as Alsace or Corsica the answer will be "I am Alsatian" or "I am Corsican".

The question of the importance of paying sufficient attention to the ethnic component of identity can be traced in many studies of ethnocultural identity in recent years.

According to N.N. Rostova, "in the light of the ongoing political, cultural and economic processes, the issue of ethnic identity is becoming particularly relevant. The change in ethnic identity cannot but be influenced by migration processes, which have intensified and are actively taking place over the past few decades… This underlines the importance and necessity of understanding the processes of ethnic identity formation and interethnic communication processes. The state of ethnic identity (its integration) largely determines the possibility of a tolerant attitude towards other ethnic groups" ^[5].

C. Yuan also believes that "The problem of ethnic and cultural identity has become a key issue today, not only in Russia, but also around the world. This is primarily due to the globalization of cultural space, mass migrations and radical transformations of social and economic systems, as well as the increasing role of the media" ^[6]. In our opinion, the statement about the paradox of modern culture is fair, where, on the one hand, there is a "blurring of differences between cultures and individuals, and, on the other, there is a process of preserving ethnic identity" ^[6].

I.A. Zvereva also notes that "ethnic identity is considered a defining feature that protects the resilience of modern civilization, and allows an individual to realize his place in a certain ethnic community, gives him the right to transfer to himself the qualities and characteristics of his external environment, actualizes features in it that occupy an important and necessary place in society" (cit. according to: ^[6]). And I.V. Malygina considers ethnocultural identity as a logically conditioned phenomenon with deep roots, which is "necessary to create the integrity of society and the ethnocultural identity of peoples..." (cit. by: ^[6]).

Due to the complexity and ambiguity of the phenomenon under study, its study today requires the use of new approaches, fresh views, and an up-to-date methodology.

Within the framework of visual culture research, where visual images become the central element of cultural and social discourse, ethnocultural identity research acquires a new dimension; using the potential of visual research as a methodology for the study of ethnocultural identity seems to us particularly promising for identifying the features of its representation and construction at the present stage.

Visual culture plays a central role in the self-identification and self-presentation of a modern person, allowing him to communicate with the world around him on many different levels, providing tools and context for understanding himself, his place in the world and his attitude towards others. Through the visual, people learn to interpret the world around them, which, in turn, affects their self-awareness and understanding of themselves in this world. Through visual culture, people internalize certain behaviors, roles, and stereotypes that can shape or change their self-awareness. Thus, visual culture is closely related to the processes of identification: on the one hand, it is its reflection, representation, on the other hand, it influences a person by constructing his reality.

The visual plays an important role in the representation of ethnocultural identity, as it helps to visualize, express and convey cultural values, traditions and characteristics of ethnic and cultural groups. This can manifest itself in various forms, including art, clothing, symbolism, architecture, and more. And with the advent of new technologies and the development of social networks, you can include memes, visual images in video games, photography, and so on in this list. Visual elements can carry information about cultural values, traditions and rituals, helping to preserve and transmit information about them from generation to generation.

Thus, Clifford Geertz, a cultural anthropologist, formulated the concept of culture as a system of symbols through which people form their identity, describing the worldview of a given people as "their ideas about forms in which objective reality exists, their understanding of nature, human society" ^[7]. K. Geertz argued that cultural and ethnic identity It consists of complex systems of symbols and meanings that people use to interpret their world, emphasizing their importance ^[7].

It is the system of symbols belonging to a particular culture that creates a kind of foundation, largely reflecting ethnocultural identity.

Assman also believes that "the consciousness of social belonging, what we call "collective identity", is based on participation in common knowledge and common memory, which are communicated through speaking the same language or, more broadly, through the use of a common system of symbols" ^{[8, p. 149]}.

The symbols contained in visual images can cause strong emotional reactions, and the emotional impact of the image on a person occurs, as a rule, on an unconscious level. Thus, A. Meneghetti, analyzing the influence of cinema on a person, explores first of all cinematic images and how they are perceived by the human consciousness and, no less importantly, respond in our unconscious, since the hidden content of the unconscious is projected onto the image seen ^[9].

It is this feature of the image that is being investigated in psychology. Moreover, the concept of an image in the psychological dimension is most often considered "as synonymous with the picture of the world, its reflection in the psyche" ^{[10, p. 64]}.

Similar processes occur, for example, when perceiving memes – visual humorous images distributed on the web. For representatives of one culture, the image causes unconscious laughter, but for others it may seem unpleasant or even shocking, being associated with negative associations with collective cultural experience.

In this regard, it can be concluded that the images are a visual reflection of ethnic and cultural identity. Following I.V. Malygina, defining ethnocultural identity as a complex socio-psychological phenomenon, the content of which is the individual's awareness of unity with ethno-national education, a deep emotional, almost sacred experience of this unity and cultural practices of manifestation of this unity, both individual and collective ^{[11, p. 44]}, we come to the conclusion that all the listed components of ethnocultural identity – rational, emotional and behavioral – are somehow associated with certain images. Images of ethnocultural identity are able to convey the whole complex of feelings and emotional experiences about belonging to one's own cultural community, reflect reflexive processes and deep meanings that form ethnic/national identity, a culture-specific vision and perception of the world; through visual images, there is a manifestation of belonging to an ethnocultural community, its unity and integrity.

That is, the potential of visual culture for the study of ethnocultural identity, on the one hand, lies in the ability of visual culture to reflect the peculiarities of the representation of ethnocultural identity at the present stage. On the other hand, the visual can largely influence its formation.

According to V. I. Ilyin, "the construction of national identity can be considered as a process of appropriation and assimilation by an individual of national symbols, images and meanings passed through the prism of personal attitudes, formed and reproduced in collective memory by means of social institutions" ^{[12, p. 73]}, which in our opinion is also true for ethnocultural identity. Due to the abundance of information received through the visual channel, especially in modern digital society, symbols, images and meanings associated with ethnic and cultural identity are often reflected in the visual.

Today, visual practices are an integral part of content in cyberspace. They also participate in the construction of an ethnocultural identity, which acquires its own special mechanisms of construction and manifestation in cyberspace ^[13]. Digital (network) identity is an integral part of human identity today.

In the article, digital (network) identity is understood as the creation of an individual's digital projection in the information and communication space, in particular, in social networks ^[14]. Moreover, this "projection" is created largely due to visual content: these are avatars, masks, and photographs with which a person identifies himself, demonstrating his visual "embodiment".

As E.N. Nalbandian rightly notes, "the most significant indicators of the modern world are not institutional formations, but their visual manifestations" ^{[15, p. 139]}. In the modern world, people are increasingly forced to stay in a situation of identity formation through dialogue with the media, which reflect reality through visual representations ^{[15, p. 139]}.

Visual images have a significant impact on our perception and understanding of the world, contributing to the development of imagination, critical thinking and emotional response. Being part of a special picture of the world peculiar to one or another ethnocultural group, visual images are filled with symbols, images that stand for something else, having a deep ideological, cultural or emotional implication that goes beyond its literal meaning.

Many researchers of visual culture (J.Alexander, G. Boehme, J. Mitchell, K. Moxey, J. Elkins and others) agree that visual images should be understood more broadly than images, due to the fact that there are certain meanings behind them that can not only influence the viewer, but also, in a broader sense, influence socio-cultural processes, to construct an identity.

E. Petrovskaya notes: "When we try to define an image today, we must keep in mind that visuality ... is not limited to what we see." She calls for a distinction between the concepts of image and image. Moreover, it is necessary to study the images: what remains "outside the image" are images "in which time and affect are compressed and which refer to experience" ^{[16, p. 37]}.

A visual image is something more than an image, it has a certain status or role, functions in culture, and actively participates in social processes. This is the point of view held by many photography researchers. According to Van Lear's version, "Photography is not only an imprint, but also a photographic event" ^{[17, p. 15]} R. Arnheim also wrote that photography is not only a form of observation, but also a form of action ^{[18, pp. 119-141]}. A. Rouillet also believes that photography exists to change, to build, to create ^{[19, p. 94]}.

That is, the image appears to us as an active subject, it is involved in activities, it is able to stimulate socio-cultural changes. "... An image is a concentration of a special force that is either contained in it or used by it..." ^{[20, p. 175]}. For W. Mitchell, images are not just representations of anything, they are "living entities" that interact with human experience. His work often focuses on how images function in culture and how they "work" in sociocultural contexts. With regard to visual culture, W. Mitchell suggests considering images not just as passive objects for viewing, but also as active agents. He claims that the images have "lives", interact with people. In his book "What Do Pictures Want?" (What do images want?) W. Mitchell develops the concept of "desires" or "needs" of images, believing that images do not just represent or depict things, they also have their own "desires" or "power" that can influence the "viewer" ^[21].

Gottfried Boehm, the author of the term "iconic turn", noting that "meanings created with the help of figurative means are realized in the perception of images" ^{[22, 2007]}, also notes the ability of images to act: not just to represent or display something, but also to influence, convince, manipulate.

In other words, images are carriers of meanings, and, apparently, are capable of generating them.

This idea is clearly formulated by J. Alexander, arguing that the peculiarity of visual images is that the meaning they produce acquires an autonomous existence. As a result, "iconographic experience clarifies how we feel part of our social and physical environment, how we experience the reality of the bonds that bind us to people we know and do not know, and how we develop a sense of place, gender, sexuality, class, nationality, our profession and even our self" (cit. according to: ^{[23, p. 16]}).

According to J. Assman, collective identity, a "sense of community" is created and preserved through the circulation of cultural meaning encoded and expressed in a common language, common knowledge and common memory, that is, a stock of common values, experience data, expectations and interpretations, which forms a "symbolic world of meaning" or a "picture of the world" of a given society ^{[8, pp. 150-151]}.

The potential hidden in visual images lies in the preservation and translation of this meaning, its impact on a person. It is the meanings contained in visual images that influence people, actively manipulate consciousness and construct identity.

"The fundamental difference between human thinking and practice from the psyche and behavior of an animal is the ability to generate meanings. (It is the meanings, not the signs!) The meaning is understood as such a discrete mental state that can be socially translated into codes. At the same time, the meaning, unlike the sign, has, in addition to the denotative, also existential and genetic components. The existential one is connected with modes of experience, and the genetic one is connected with the chain of origin and derivation of some semantic constructs from their predecessors" ^{[24, p. 148]}.

Thus, endowing an image with "subjectivity" seems quite adequate, based on the fact that images not only reflect existing social and cultural identities, but also actively construct and reconstruct them.

This property of images can be actively used in the research of ethnocultural identity. Moreover, it must be borne in mind that such processes can be both constructive and destructive. On the one hand, visual images can act as a way of representing an ethnocultural community, ensuring its recognition and a positive image, which for many peoples in the context of globalization of cultural space is of particular importance. However, flags and coats of arms, national symbols, monuments and memorials dedicated to significant events in the history of the country or outstanding personalities can be both a matter of special pride and a tool in the struggle of ideas.

Each culture has its own unique visual images of identity that distinguish it from others, and they remain unchanged for many generations, ensuring the unity of the ethnocultural group in a continuum aspect. Visual images associated with the historical past evoke a deep emotional response from representatives of a particular culture, carry important meanings for them, which allows them to effectively recognize "their own" and "strangers". For example, the image of a bear in Russia as the personification of strength and power, a rooster as a symbol of bravery and bravery in France. As part of the study of ethnocultural identity, one should take into account the danger of a stereotypical understanding of a particular culture, due to the almost uncontrolled replication and dissemination of such images, which prevents a deeper understanding of another culture, the formation of objective ideas about its value core.

Visual images play an important role in the preservation of cultural heritage, broadcasting socio-cultural experience, allowing us to preserve significant stories for future generations, interpreting them, ensuring continuity. Today, for example, visual images of the past are widely exploited, transforming them in accordance with modern realities. As an example, let's use the image of the Phrygian cap for the mascots of the Olympic Games in France in 2024. This type of headdress, known since antiquity, became the prototype of the Jacobin cap during the Great French Revolution. Being a revolutionary symbol of the republic and freedom, it has been present in the history of France for several centuries. A Phrygian cap adorns Marianne's head in French town halls or on stamps. According to the creators of the mascots, the main idea of using this image is the idea that sport has revolutionary potential that can change the whole world.

Such facts are of great interest to researchers of ethnocultural identity in a dynamic aspect. Transformations occurring with visual images, their mass replication or, conversely, oblivion can tell a lot about the current situation with ethnocultural identity.

It is important to note that today visual images, as carriers of certain values and beliefs, can not only entertain, but also encourage active action, being a motive for both political and social consolidation and illegal actions. One example is the infamous French edition of Charlie Hebdo, where shocking visual content provokes both tragic events and a desire to defend the right to French humor as a kind of way to demonstrate freedom – one of the most important values of French culture.

This ability of visual images to influence the audience should be studied from the perspective of the importance of an image for an ethnocultural community, its role in the historical past, and collective memory.

Visual culture, therefore, is a dynamic space where visual practices and images not only reflect, but also actively form an ethnocultural identity, contributing to a critical rethinking of cultural interactions.

Visual images, being an integral part of ethnocultural identity, serve as a powerful tool for preserving cultural heritage, expressing self-awareness and strengthening social solidarity; play an important role in the process of intergenerational transfer of knowledge, traditions and values; are active actors in socio-cultural processes. Visual images can include signs, symbols and meanings that together create a unique visual impression reflecting and shaping the values, history and traditions of a particular ethnocultural group, being a rich source of information about culture and its values, as well as contributing to the formation of a sense of social belonging and cultural identity. The importance of identifying these images, their role and power of influence determines the potential of visual culture in the research of ethnocultural identity at the present stage.