Most extensive variations of culture, art, communication, and expressions of visual literacy that are perceived in the media are commonly based misconceptions of a sort. Predictably people's misconceptions are widely influenced and cultivated by poor imitations of certain aspects of culture and art. The more that people are exposed to certain types of fallacy the more those preconceived notions are cemented. However there is cause for change - seen more often are more closely accurate versions of these misconstrued portrayals of people and art. As media advances and spreads people are starting to take notice of the once distorted interpretations. Technology also has helped with the spread of empathy by allowing more access for people to use, and by extension people have discovered more about the world and its misconceptions then they knew of beforehand. For years people have had prejudiced and biased claims towards one another - even to this day, but while it is still around the movement of culture, art, and the force of technology among other things have brought to light some varying perspectives of the distorted versions of people, technology, culture, communication, and visual literacy forms. In a new day and age people may still face biased views, but there are now more detailed explanations and analysis on the misconceptions of the essence of cultures. As people absorb new information they might form a bias on the topic introduced right away. And even as all styles and patterns of media influence them, it comes down to the human race on how they interpret the prevailed topic - despite the prestige that may force its way into their perceptions of the world.
Like the many ways that people might judge something like food, their firsthand perception of it might be about appearance before tasting it. Similarly people may judge another person by how they look or act before getting to know them. They may also believe snap judgments made by others about that person based on who they are. And like many preconceived notions - these judgments are usually first made by looking, In this way people place judgment on others without first knowing why. These prepossessed impressions may stick with people, but it is only more damaging when people know that they are being unfairly judgmental. it only blocks people's perceptions of the world more. "preconceived notions are locks on the doors to wisdom" - Mary Browne (Ceremony).
However overcoming preconceived notions can be overcome. Over the course of history people have started to become more welcoming, and more open about other people - while people may still be judgmental it is possible to fix. However as many warped and prejudiced values are placed an labeled on certain types of people it may possible to overcome - but it will be hard to change people's mind other years of thinking a certain way. It may be fixed in people's heads - as that might be the only view of others that they are able to see - especially seen trough the lens of media such as television, books, and otherwise of people misdirecting what another's culture may be. For example a longstanding stereotype that is commonly thought of the native tribes is that they are all alcoholics in nature. "I don't drink, never had a drop of alcohol in my life, not one drop". "What kind of Indian are you?" (Smoke Signals, Chris Eyre). These kind of biased judgments may be longstanding as some people are still inclined to believe them, but eventually over time - with the help of more accurate portrayals for native cultures and others, people may begin to eradicate those inclinations towards biased judgments. As culture and communication evolve over time it has become easier for change to happen. Social interaction has started to change, now that more people are willing to interact with others they once intolerant of. Society has grown and as it has grown - changes were made, from laws, government, schools and education systems to the construction of the human morale. "I propose a dynamic theory of social impact to account for how coherent structures of cultural elements emerge from the interactions of people located in space. in this conception, social structure is seen to result from individuals, differing in their ability to influence each other. in a dynamic interactive process of reciprocal and recursive influence" - Bibb Latane (Culture and Communication). As the structure of society changes and reforms so do people - they change along with it. People can learn, and can become more tolerant of other people more so then they were before. Social change through the embodiment of people's changing perceptions is possible.
As the past and future intertwine people are a participant in both - they have made the past, and can shape the future. The outcome is of their choosing. People may live in the shadow of the past, but they can change their future. Much like how in society people can change the outcome of something like an election. They have the power to either let the failure of the past haunt them, or to choose a brighter future. "We are products of our past, but we don't have to be prisoners of it" - Rick Warren (Smoke Signals). If people can perceive a better future from the past they had, it is possible to look ahead. The past can be left behind - not forgotten, but a lesson to be learned from. It can be studied and analyzed for mistakes but in doing so, a better understanding may make the path for a better future more evident. As people are constantly reminded of the past, they may experience a sense of discord, or detachment from the present world. This is also true of those of served in wars. They may experience P.T.S.(D). as a result of traumatic experience with the past. It may scar them, being reminded of a horrific tragedy that once occurred in their life, at random moments they can be thrown back into their past - or jolted back to a memory of trauma. "The sound of rain got louder, pounding on the leaves, splashing into the ruts; it splattered on his head, and the sound echoed inside his skull. It streamed down his face and neck like jungle flies with crawling feet" (Ceremony, Silko 11). So as people are constantly reminded of the past, and they may even revisit it, they are effected by it. The past is what connects people with the history of their story. They are by bound by the laws of time - and yet not consciously y. People may live in the present - but they can relive the past in their lives, as they mentally shift from one memory to the next. It is inconsistent where people may end up in their minds, but it will most likely derive from a piece of their past or future. A part of healing, to reach a better present or future may be to let go of the past - to recognize that it happened, but to also realize that there is nothing to be done as it has already done. For people to heal themselves of the past, they must remember but to also move on. "He gagged as he pushed the door open, and something gave way in hi belly. He vomited out everything he had drank with them, and when that was gone, he was still kneeling on the road beside the truck, holding his heaving belly, trying to vomit out everything - all the past, all his life" (Ceremony, Silko 156). When Tayo begins much of his healing process by 'vomiting out his past' and he begins to let go and accept the past - but he also chooses to move on. Similarly most people may try to get over their past by letting it go - to get everything out that was bothering them in the past - they will still have the memories, but they are also closer to having the future they envision for themselves.
Throughout the course of history, people have made mistakes, they have fought for a better understanding of how to change - for a chance at redemption. People may sometimes feel like they need that redemption for a previous fault, or misstep, even the idea of stepping into the past to undo what was done. that ideal may follow them, always at the forefront of their mind of what could have been done differently to fix the past. But even to the most unsuspecting people who foresee a chance to make a change - redemption is their ticket, maybe even a lifeline to a better life. One key is to remember the past, to remember the mistakes, to not forget, but to commemorate it, in seeking a new light. "Seeking to forget makes exile all the longer; the secret of redemption lies in remembrance" - Richard Von Weizsaecker (Seven Pounds). As people isolate themselves further from others, their lives may become a kind of exile for them - they are essentially stuck. But living on in the memory of the past can be as compensating as it is isolating. If people are willing to except the past - to remember, but to live on, redemption can be achieved. And another factor of change is empathy. People's reactions to others and their plight and in account considering their own. While empathy is a recognized concept ingrained into the human consciousness - it can be expressed in many forms. One of those many forms is art. Everyone and anyone can express themselves through one method or another. As art is a rapidly growing process by democratization - people are more assertive about showing their ideals for social change and redeeming the concept of the human consciousness through empathy (Press Pause Play). One such artist - Banksy using his art to express his views for social change. A art piece of his shows a protestor throwing flowers. This might be used to disclose the idea that while people want to fight more for a better society - they would rather do it peacefully and with empathy. Though many may want to achieve redemption, or to use the current technological advances to share ideas with others - people alone must interpret those ideas. They must determine how, and what they see will effect them, or their way of thinking. People are surrounded by influences from everywhere - so they must divvy up what content they want to intake. As mass media spreads more people are getting used to the process of a new form of communication. "As previously noted, mass communication consists of (1) professional communicators shaping and sharing messages, then (2) transmitting them over great distances using technological devices called mass media to (3) influence large audiences" (Culture and Communication 13). As technology advances and transmissions more - the process of spreading mass media and influencing the audience becomes more accessible than before. One path of redemption for people and even society - could be seen with the up rise of technology. As people use technology more and more often, people aspire to connect with others and to share what they know. People begin to spread empathy - as more people learn about news and other media feeds around the world from technology and other people, they begin to feel more empathy for others around them and may even be inspired to find solace in helping, and by extension find the key to redemption for themselves and a better society and change.
All of these methods - art, the change of people's minds towards other cultures and societies, media, technology are all connected and stem from the misconceptions that grip people. People's minds may take a while to convince, and false impressions of people may still be around, but with the help of others through the use of technology and the capacity of human empathy, social and cultural changes are made. People can be taught to remove ideas of misinterpretations and false images of cultures. In the beginning, judgments are made, and people are inclined towards the past, but it is seen that, that can change. As people are tied to the past and future decisions and memories they may look backwards or forwards for guidance, for redemption of mistakes made, but together people can create the change that they want. Misconceptions can be expunged with time - even now people can see change from when they saw mistakes from the past, they try to carve a path more towards tolerance, and other inventions come into play when focusing on awareness for world affairs. People have entered a new age where it is more accessible for them to gain information, and to use or compass it as they wish. Misconceptions may be viewed still, but change is a possible and visible for the future, and redemption is achievable for society to claim with empathy and people's willingness to dismantle those first placed misinterpretations.
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