11 child , and 3 ) War artist ’ s Mark Neville ’ s moving visual of ‘ Bolan Market ’ 3 , in line with the ' most different ' design when a case study is N = 2 or 3 . This design is used to highlight how ‘ opinions and abilities may , at first glance , seem to be quite different things , [ but ,] there is a close functional tie between them ’ ( Festinger , 1954 , p . 116 ) 4 . Furthermore , the three case studies will be compared against ‘ actor network theory ’ [ ANT ] which is the argument that an inanimate object , can be its own agent that possesses its own power ( Michael , 2017 ). Although many have framed ‘ ANT ’ as something of a crude concept in discussing images potentially making more of a difference to ‘ human ’ understanding , it is nevertheless helpful to understand how images are produced , the social dynamics at play , and how power is formed . Moreover , an image possesses agency because they can be used as tools by those capturing the images and those seeing the image as a path of exploration , passports to inner sanctums , and perhaps most importantly , instruments for change . It is in the incitement of change , which is so crucial to this essay , as the selected case studies can be considered catalysts for change in their own right as they each evoke responses which will be discussed further . If images are considered “ instruments of change ” , this suggests that they do hold a certain degree of power and ANT theory cannot be dismissed . In the literature on ‘ Cultural Governance and Pictorial Resistance ’ ( Campbell , 2003 ), David Campbell argues that an image itself can have agency . The individual who looks upon it can suggest and manipulate the image to imply whatever they want to read from it , especially in the ever-increasing digital age where the use of images over digital platforms has had an ‘ important impact on contemporary debates ’ 5 .
Secondly , I will consider whether the images used within all three cases work to the detriment of ‘ our ’ understanding or on whether the images have had any positive impact to change the plight of the individuals in the images . Interlaced within these images , a question of ethics arises as to what extent the documentation of conflict can through still and moving images employ what is termed ‘ peaceful journalism ’, especially if the subject of the image is in apparent harm . Peaceful Journalism is the research which indicates that the news disseminated about conflicts often has a value bias towards violence . Peace journalism aims to allow opportunities for society at large to consider and evaluate non-violent responses to conflict . It is
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