“The story of my face”. How environmental stewards perceive stigmatization (re)produced by the media

Bruno de Oliveira JaymeUniversity of Victoria

Community-Based Research Laboratory

“Seeing comes before words.The child looks and recognizes before it can speak.”

(John Berger in “Ways of Seeing”)

Who are these faces?

Environmental stewards;

2006 = 50 binners;

2010 = 210 binners;

Recycling is the main income generation for 98% of binners.

Source: Binning report, CBRL.

How media (re)produce stigmatization?

How media (re)produce stigmatization?

How media (re)produce stigmatization?

How media (re)produce stigmatization?

How media (re)produce stigmatization?

How media (re)produce stigmatization?

Recyclers’ perceptions

1- Mark: I believe there is a certain stigma[2- Joy: [It’s a persona3- It’s a persona.4- Mark: I mean, our face seems to tell us. I 5- walk in a store and they target me as a booster, a 6- shoplifter. Because my face tells a story. My high 7- cheekbones, I am an ex heroin addict.

1- Mark: I believe there is a certain stigma[2- Joy: [It’s a persona3- It’s a persona.4- Mark: I mean, our face seems to tell us. I 5- walk in a store and they target me as a booster, a 6- shoplifter. Because my face tells a story, my high 7- cheekbones. I am an ex heroin addict.

Recyclers’ perceptions

1- Mark: I believe there is a certain stigma[2- Joy: [It’s a persona3- It’s a persona.4- Mark: I mean, our face seems to tell us. I 5- walk in a store and they target me as a booster, a 6- shoplifter. Because my face tells a story, my high 7- cheekbones. I am an ex heroin addict.

Recyclers’ perceptions

1- Mark: I believe there is a certain stigma[2- Joy: [It’s a persona3- It’s a persona.4- Mark: I mean, our face seems to tell us. I 5- walk in a store and they target me as a booster, a 6- shoplifter. Because my face tells a story, my high 7- cheekbones. I am an ex heroin addict.

Recyclers’ perceptions

Discussion

Hotline = Panapticon

Discipline and Punish (Foucault, 1977)

CRD Metro Waste

Recyclers

…but what about social economy?

Conclusion

✓ Semiotic studies are fundamental in understanding how signifiers can shape different social behaviors;

✓Media produce and reproduce the stigmatization of recyclers;

✓Stigmatization is an attribute presented to, or perceived by others;

✓Stigmatization increases recycler’s vulnerability;

✓Stigmatization decreases the value of the recyclers

Obrigado(Thank you)

http://web.me.com/brunojayme/Bruno