The visual representation of germs
A typology of popular germ depictions
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 12700250 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Catherine Stones (0000-0002-9797-8587, corresponding author), James F Stark (0000-0002-0638-0804, University of Leeds), James Stark (University of Leeds), Sophie Rutter (0000-0002-3249-5269, University of Sheffield), Colin Macduff (0000-0001-7238-1744, Glasgow School of Art) |
| Year | 2020 |
| Volume | 21 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 97-122 |
| Publication date | 2020-01-23 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Visual Communication (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1470-3572 • E-ISSN: 1741-3214 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/1470357219896055 |
| OpenAlex | W3002037298 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 3 |
| References cited | 23 |
Germs have been visually represented in popular texts for over 100 years, yet little is understood about the dominant practices/concepts resident in such images. This article presents a new typology of popular germ representations from the UK consisting of three main types: Scientific, Carrier and Analogous. The first category pertains to the realm of the scientist, the second to domestic space and social norms, and the third primarily to the realm of the imagination. The study identifies a further 13 sub-types and discusses each in turn. The authors argue that a more varied range of germ images exist than the previous binary positioning of germ representations in the US would suggest. They account for the continued adoption of the Analogous Germ in relation to four key cultural forces and problematize the use of the Monster Germ and its alignment of ugliness and obesity with disease
Aesthetics · Art · Epistemology · Germ · Linguistics · Political science · Politics · Realm · Representation (politics · Sociology · Typology · Anthropology · Architecture, Design, and Social History · Culinary Culture and Tourism · Law · Mathematics · Philosophy
Basics of qualitative research
Spreading germs
Speaking of Monsters
On Longing
Personification in Advertising
Beyond Visual Metaphor
Unintended Effects of Health Communication Campaigns
The Gospel of Germs
Constructing Representations of Germs in the Twentieth Century
Building the World’s Visual Language
The Contagion Concept in Adult Thinking in the United States
| Citations per year | 0.43 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2019 - 2024 (6) |
| Highly cited | No |