The Shadow Rules of Engagement: Visual Practices, Citizen-Subjectivity, and America's Global War on Terror
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The Ohio State University / OhioLINK
2009
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| Online Access: | http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1243903538 |
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ndltd-OhioLink-oai-etd.ohiolink.edu-osu12439035382021-08-03T05:56:21Z The Shadow Rules of Engagement: Visual Practices, Citizen-Subjectivity, and America's Global War on Terror Adelman, Rebecca A. American Studies Mass Media American citizenship Global War on Terror visual culture Like all wars, the Global War on Terror (GWOT) (2001-present) has resulted in upheavals of culture and politics. What makes the GWOT unique is the degree to which these disruptions coincide. This dissertation explores their convergence in visual culture, a key medium through which Americans confront terror in everyday life. "The Shadow Rules of Engagement" is an interdisciplinary project that integrates insights from cultural studies and political theory to provide a comprehensive account of the American visual culture of terror and how it shapes the experience of citizenship. Out of the vast archive of visual cultural production about the GWOT, I discern five kinds of what I call ‘visual practices,’ approaches to the visual and its expression of terror. The first of these, the illuminating, is an antiwar strategy that demands publicity for graphic images of the GWOT on the assumption that these sights will arouse opposition to the War. While those practices seek to traumatize viewers into action, dimensional practices presume that the controlled sight of terror can be healing, and so they transform it into two-dimensional artifacts designed to aid in the process of coping with it. Similarly, diagnostic practices quantify terror by rating its intensity and regulating its appearance. Terror is difficult to manage in this way, but temporal engagements seek to correct for its disorienting consequences by forcing it into linear narratives to deprive it of momentum and power. Finally, there are juridical responses to the unauthorized imaging of terror, which employ legal (and extralegal) means to respond to visual threats. Various actors—from private citizens to federal officials—and institutions—from the Motion Picture Association of America to the United States Department of Justice—partake in these practices. Consequently, evidence of their engagements is present across the spectrum of American visual culture, and I document a representative variety of sites, artifacts, and events, cataloging primary sources ranging from federal indictments to ‘jihad’ videos, popular novels, virtual reality simulations, and beyond. Despite their diverse manifestations, I demonstrate that all of these practices (and the artifacts around which they are centered) are concerned with redefining American citizenship through the experience of terror. 2009-08-20 English text The Ohio State University / OhioLINK http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1243903538 http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1243903538 unrestricted This thesis or dissertation is protected by copyright: all rights reserved. It may not be copied or redistributed beyond the terms of applicable copyright laws. |
| collection |
NDLTD |
| language |
English |
| sources |
NDLTD |
| topic |
American Studies Mass Media American citizenship Global War on Terror visual culture |
| spellingShingle |
American Studies Mass Media American citizenship Global War on Terror visual culture Adelman, Rebecca A. The Shadow Rules of Engagement: Visual Practices, Citizen-Subjectivity, and America's Global War on Terror |
| author |
Adelman, Rebecca A. |
| author_facet |
Adelman, Rebecca A. |
| author_sort |
Adelman, Rebecca A. |
| title |
The Shadow Rules of Engagement: Visual Practices, Citizen-Subjectivity, and America's Global War on Terror |
| title_short |
The Shadow Rules of Engagement: Visual Practices, Citizen-Subjectivity, and America's Global War on Terror |
| title_full |
The Shadow Rules of Engagement: Visual Practices, Citizen-Subjectivity, and America's Global War on Terror |
| title_fullStr |
The Shadow Rules of Engagement: Visual Practices, Citizen-Subjectivity, and America's Global War on Terror |
| title_full_unstemmed |
The Shadow Rules of Engagement: Visual Practices, Citizen-Subjectivity, and America's Global War on Terror |
| title_sort |
shadow rules of engagement: visual practices, citizen-subjectivity, and america's global war on terror |
| publisher |
The Ohio State University / OhioLINK |
| publishDate |
2009 |
| url |
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1243903538 |
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AT adelmanrebeccaa theshadowrulesofengagementvisualpracticescitizensubjectivityandamericasglobalwaronterror AT adelmanrebeccaa shadowrulesofengagementvisualpracticescitizensubjectivityandamericasglobalwaronterror |
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