Visual Populism and Political Polarization

The conceptualization of populism as a type of social discourse was a groundbreaking moment for the study of populism. It liberated the study of populism from the sociologicism of the earlier decades. It opened up new avenues for research. However, there was a peril that “discourse” was defined too narrowly, as purely verbal or textual. Social discourses, however, can be constructed using all forms of symbolic communication: verbal, visual, kinetic, musical. This panel will focus on populist visual discourses: in their social creation, dissemination and decodings, and in the way in which they impact contemporary politics. Its impact on political polarization is of special interest, as some recent research emphasizes the polarizing effect of visual and performative discourse. Papers are invited on all forms of visual populism: public performance, use of fashion, urban design or architecture, cinema, and all others.