In this seminar paper of a seminar on "American Photography", I focused on war photography and examined the extent to which the photos that came out of the wars reflected the resentment of the population towards the respective conflict. The wars chosen were the Second World War and the Vietnam War. The basic assumption was that photographs from a war that the population largely supports and can "understand", i.e. the Second World War, are much more heroic and positive than those from a controversial (Vietnam) war that is not supported by the masses. You can find out whether I was right on these pages.
In dieser Hauptseminararbeit eines Seminars zu "American Photography" habe ich mich Kriegsfotografie gewidmet und untersucht, inwiefern die Fotos, die aus den Kriegen kamen, die jeweiligen Ressentiments der Bevölkerung zum jeweiligen Konflikt widergespiegelt haben. Die gewählten Kriege waren der 2. Weltkrieg und der Vietnamkrieg. Die Grundannahme war, dass Fotografien, die aus einem Krieg stammen, den die Bevölkerung zum großen Teil unterstützt und "nachvollziehen" kann, also dem 2. Weltkrieg, wesentlich heroischer und positiver sind als jene, die aus einem kontroversen, nicht von der breiten Masse unterstützten Krieg (Vietnam) . Ob ich recht hatte, könnt ihr auf diesen Seiten herausfinden.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- War and the United States - Introduction and Setting of Topic
- Preliminary Considerations: Public Opinion on War
- World War II
- Vietnam
- Comparison of War Photographs
- Photojournalism and Combat Photography
- The Photographers and their Intentions
- Verifying the Findings: Comparison of Pulitzer Prize Winning Photographs
- Conclusion
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This text analyzes the differences in photographs taken during World War II and the Vietnam War. It aims to explain why these photographs, despite depicting equally brutal conflicts, present contrasting perspectives on the nature of war. The analysis focuses on the influence of public opinion on the portrayal of war in these photographs.
- Public opinion on war
- Photojournalism and combat photography
- The role of photographers and their intentions
- The impact of societal context on the portrayal of war
- Comparison of Pulitzer Prize winning photographs
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
- War and the United States - Introduction and Setting of Topic: This chapter introduces the theme of war in U.S. history and highlights the crucial role of public opinion in supporting war efforts. It establishes the importance of analyzing war photographs to understand how different societal contexts and public opinions influence their portrayal.
- Preliminary Considerations: Public Opinion on War: This section delves into the public opinion on war in the United States, focusing on the contrasting experiences of World War II and the Vietnam War. It examines factors such as public support for war, social and economic implications, and the role of media in shaping public perception.
- World War II: This chapter explores the American public's sentiment toward World War II, including their initial reluctance to enter the war and their eventual support. It highlights the social and economic opportunities that arose during the war and the role of the media in shaping public opinion.
- Vietnam: This chapter focuses on the contrasting public opinion surrounding the Vietnam War, emphasizing the initial secrecy and gradual escalation of U.S. involvement. It examines the role of the media and public opposition in shaping perceptions of the war, as well as the impact of the war on American society.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
This text focuses on the key concepts of war, public opinion, photojournalism, combat photography, and the role of photographers in shaping public perception of war. It investigates the differences in the portrayal of World War II and the Vietnam War through photographs, highlighting the influence of social context, societal values, and the intentions of individual photographers on the images produced.
- Quote paper
- Anonym (Author), 2020, American Combat Photography. Connecting the public opinion on World War II and the Vietnam War through photographs, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/1487887
