Position Statement Assignment:
| Assignment Author | Keith Shapiro © 2018 |
| What is the Title of the Assignment? | The Ethics of Photographing Vulnerable Subjects |
| The Photograph Under Discussion |
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| Is this a… | Written Assignment |
| What Course Learning Objective Does the Assignment Satisfy? | Written Communications, Social Reasoning and Ethical Responsibility |
| Assignment Description | Read the Position Statement Guidelines!
Position Statement Prompt: Kevin Carter was a photojournalist who made a photograph in southern Sudan of a child, which the New York Times published on March 26, 1993. The photo won him a Pulitzer Prize. However, the photo also sparked a debate regarding the responsibilities of photographers who photograph vulnerable subjects. It also resulted in devastating personal consequences for Carter himself. For this assignment, thoroughly research Carter’s background, his famous photograph, its criticisms, and its consequences. Argue your position on what you believe an ethical photographer should do when faced with similar circumstances. This may include your position regarding the ethics of Carter’s actions. Please remember, this is a troubling and serious topic. As always, express your position and your responses using supporting evidence in a scholarly and professional manner. Position Statement Assignment Description: Our Position Statements are research-based papers where you take an informed stand or position on a topic related to photography and then argue your position using your research as support. A key element is the concept of taking an “informed position.” That means that you should be able to back up your position with evidence based on research from credible sources. In other words, you need to know what you are talking about and be able to prove it. A Position Statement is an opinion, however unlike the opinions posted to most blog websites, your work in PHOTO 101 must be critical and scholarly. Base your Position Statements’ supporting arguments on facts and evidence. Please thoroughly read the requires for Position Statements in the Course Syllabus. Not following the requirements will have a detrimental affect on your assignment score. Since this is research assignment for you, we purposely do not include detailed information about the topic. Instead, you must provide as much of that information as possible to inform the reader and support your position. |
| Written Communications | Use of appropriate content to explore ideas, Use of credible and relevant sources |
| Social Reasoning and Ethical Responsibility | Ethical self-awareness |
| Use of appropriate content to explore ideas | Background research and verifiable evidence is important to understand the both the details and context of Carter’s situation. Much has been written about this case. Understand the situation that Carter was in when he was taking the photos and consider his motivation for doing it. Consider researching how photographers and especially photojournalists understand and apply ethical standards of behaviors for their profession. Did Carter do that? Do you believe those standards are adequate? Why? What did his critics say after the photo was published and why did they say it? Based on your research, do you believe were they correct? Bring ideas into your writing that give context to your argument. The long term personal outcome of Carter’s experience is especially troubling. To cover this topic adequately, you will need to know about that and keep in context as you from your position. |
| Use of credible and relevant sources | The purpose of researching the topic and adding citations, is to back up the evidence you are using to argue your position. Skillfully use of high- quality, credible, relevant sources to develop ideas that are appropriate for the discipline and genre of the writing. Evaluating internet sources can be challenging. Many things are written on websites and blogs regarding Kevin Carter that are conjecture. Choose knowledgeable expert authors whose identity is easily identifiable. Double check that the information you are citing is factual. Do not plagiarize, instead paraphrase the author’s point and add a citation. Ensure accuracy, you are writing a position statement, which will be read by other people are researching the same topic and will be consequently knowledgeable. This assignment asks you to from an opinion about the ethics of this situation, however to make that decision you should thoroughly understand the situation and look at the photos in question. |
| Ethical self awareness | The prompt question asks you to not simply comment of whether Carter acted ethically, it asks what you believe an ethical photographer should do when faced with similar circumstances. To answer this question you can put yourself in Carter’s shoes and speculate on what you would do as a working professional photographer under similar conditions. It may be important to understand and address the professional and personal dilemmas he faced and why he faced them. |
| Optional Tutorials for Intermediate Level | Photography Foundations: Lenses (2 hrs) |
| Additional material description | The Tutorial, Photography Foundations: Lenses, is mentioned here as an optional resource. This tutorial may help you to look at Carter’s famous photo and decode from the image spacial perspective (caused the lens he used), the physical distance Carter was from the subjects and how far the subjects were from each other. This information might give you a better idea about what really happened while Carter was photographing, which might affect your position on the topic. |
