Social construction and visual metaphor

The article examines the processes of social construction determined by current social practices, which are constantly in a state of transformation. This transformation is influenced by many factors; we analyzed one of them. We made an assumption according to which a visual metaphor is a factor in generating new knowledge and new social constructs. In this regard, it seems essential to take into account the peculiarities of individual metaphors as they often contain a very important section of the perceptions of the subject of cognition, which in one way or another ultimately affects social reality. The main object of research in this article is the emergence and transformation of social constructs as a result of the emergence of new visual metaphors. The working hypothesis of this research comes down to the following: a visual metaphor is a way of constructing a picture of the future, which contributes to the formation of a certain social projection. This process is a prerequisite for social transformation. The aim of this study is to identify elements that have a significant impact on the formation of a social subject's individual perceptions of characteristics, preferences, knowledge, which produces social construction by transforming reality. The features of a social subject's individual approach are somehow presented in visual images that are relevant to them, and which they either choose or create themselves. Naturally, this (visualization/visual metaphor) is not the only element of construction, but it was the focus in this study. We argue that the analysis of the problem of social construction and the role of visual metaphor in this process can be successful only when using an interdisciplinary approach. The fact is that a social construct is the result of the development of a social subject that transforms reality taking into account their knowledge and goals, creating new aspects of reality. Taking into account the above, the following research methods were used in the article: analytical method, semiotic analysis method, constructionist analysis of social reality, discourse analysis. As a result of the analysis, we came to the following conclusions: the study of visual images/visual metaphor is one of the promising directions, since metaphor provides the possibility of using individual characteristics in the transforming of reality, which leads to the emergence of new social practices.

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