Life Magazine in Africa and the Ideology of Modernization
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 12919481 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Bassnett (0000-0002-6632-8450, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2020 |
| Volume | 13 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 273-293 |
| Publication date | 2020-05-03 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Photographies (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1754-0763 • E-ISSN: 1754-0771 |
| Publisher | Taylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/17540763.2020.1734065 |
| OpenAlex | W3026930621 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 18 |
Life was a popular news magazine that used photography to influence the way millions of Americans perceived geopolitical events during the Cold War. Combining information and entertainment in new ways, it reassured its predominantly white, middle-class readership of their privileged place within a volatile world. This article considers how the ideology of modernization informed the magazine's coverage of Africa. Prevalent from the late 1940 s to the mid 1960 s, modernization theory proposed a framework for understanding the transition from traditional to modern, democratic societies. It was one of the main ways the United States constructed its identity as a world power during the collapse of imperialism. Focusing on the early 1950 s, including a 1953 special issue, the article shows how the magazine's coverage of Africa conveyed different aspects of the ideology of modernization. It builds on previous scholarship on Life by looking beyond the internal politics of the US to analyse how the magazine used its distinctive visual language to reinforce racist stereotypes. By contrasting life in Africa with technological and commercial innovation in the US, Life gave the impression that American-style modernization was superior to imperial rule because of its focus on economic development
Aesthetics · Art · Ideology · Media studies · Modernization theory · Political science · Politics · Social science · Sociology · Anthropological Studies and Insights · Caribbean and African Literature and Culture · Caribbean history, culture, and politics · Law
| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,5 |
| Citation span | 2024 - 2024 (1) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |