Visual Iconography and Social Movements
Summary
Visual iconography has long underpinned collective action, shaping identities, narratives and solidarities across diverse contexts. From nineteenth-century lithographs and banners to contemporary digital graphics and emojis, images act as potent signifiers that distil complex ideologies into accessible symbols. In the digital age, the rapid circulation of photographs, posters and memes has augmented the reach of social movements, enabling visual tropes to transcend linguistic and geographical barriers. These symbols perform multiple functions: they forge group cohesion, frame grievances, galvanise public sentiment and map trajectories of dissent. Methodological advances in computational analysis and large-scale image tracking now reveal how context, repetition and remixing can alter the resonance and longevity of iconic visuals. At the same time, critical media literacy approaches remind us that power relations influence which images become dominant. By examining both historical and emerging forms of visual communication, scholars can better understand how iconography contributes to the mobilisation, memory and strategies of social movements worldwide, from environmental campaigns to transnational protest networks.
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Visual Iconography and Social Movements publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in visual iconography and social movements across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Visual iconography: The use of images and symbols as a structured language to convey collective meanings within social movements.
Framing: The process by which visual and textual elements are combined to present issues in ways that influence public perception and interpretation.
Semiotics: The study of signs and symbols, focusing on how visual elements generate meaning through relation, context and cultural codes.
Distant reading: A computational approach to analyse large corpora of images or texts, revealing patterns and trends not evident in close, qualitative reading.
Transnational memory: A shared recollection or narrative that crosses national boundaries, sustained through repeated visual and discursive practices.
References
- Thinking with Digital Images in the Post-Truth Era: A Method in Critical Media Literacy. Postdigital Science and Education (2020).
- Distant reading 940,000 online circulations of 26 iconic photographs. New Media & Society (2021).
- Does transnational contention lead to transnational memory? The online visual memory of the February 2003 anti-Iraq War protests. Social Movement Studies (2021).
- Putting Abortion in the Frame: The Success of the Campaign to Repeal the 8th Amendment in Ireland. Social Sciences (2023).
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