Draft:Theory of Hyper(in)visibility

What is the Theory of Hyper(in)visibility?

Hyper(in)visibility is made up of two words: invisibility and visibility, however it is not simply being seen or not being seen. Being visible versus invisible usually depends on which people/groups have the most power. Since dominant groups (white, male, straight, cis, etc.) are most accepted in society, they hold most of the power, and this is due to the West's past of white, patriarchal societies. Since these groups are the most visible, they render marginalized groups invisible or hyper(in)visible. While visibility is something many marginalized groups strive for, sometimes media and society steal the narrative and morph that into hypervisibility. Hypervisibility describes certain characteristics being under a constant lens that accentuates negative characteristics / stereotypes. When combining hypervisibility with the idea that other portions of marginalized people's identities are ignored or invisible, the word hyper(in)visibility comes into play.

The term hyper(in)visibility describes the idea that marginalized groups are present in the media, but the media only perpetuates the stereotypes of those marginalized communities. This causes these communities’ stereotypes to be hyper represented, while any other aspects of these groups end up being underrepresented/invisible. This causes people of marginalized groups to be seen as surface level and lacking depth. For example, this is very prevalent in many popular TV shows. Many characters of dominant groups have character development and complex storylines, while characters of marginalized groups mainly have storylines regarding their race/sexuality/gender identity.

When hyper(in)visibility occurs in media, it translates to real life as well. If someone of a dominant group only sees certain marginalized people in various forms of media, that can often be the only exposure they have to them. This causes those a part of dominant groups to only associate marginalized people with the stereotypes that the media perpetuates. This can be dangerous, especially if the stereotypes are negative. These stereotypes described by hyper(in)visibility can lead to even more violence against marginalized communities.

Background and History of the Theory of Hyper(in)visibility:

The overall construction of this theory is comprised of multiple authors and different studies over a span of a few decades. This theory is relatively young compared to most theories in the world of interpersonal communication, and even though the available amount of studies to view are scarce, this encourages more research on this theory. Notable authors such as Ruth Simpson and Patricia Lewis have been conducting research on (In)visibility and hyper visibility dating as far back to 2005, and with their latest study being in 2012. Both Simpson and Lewis recognized how visibility can be both empowering and advantageous when individuals voices are heard with power to control how they are perceived by others. They have identified that most marginalized groups want to increase their visibility with intentions to gain recognition and power. However, the opposite can occur when groups are made hyper visible. Andrea Brighenti is another notable author who wrote much of her research on hyper visibility in 2007, and described it as scrutiny based on perceived difference, which is commonly mistaken for deviance. This tends to be the result for individuals being recognized for their deviance from the social norm. Furthermore, hyper visibility being correlated with heightened scrutiny and surveillance, where failures are emphasized and individuals have no control over how they are perceived by others.

Both authors Ruth Simpson and Patricia Lewis expand on both visibility and invisibility towards this theory in a study done in 2012, where they elaborate on how both visibility and invisibility are inherently attached to power, where the nature of (in)visibility depends on either one being a dominant group or a marginalized one. They have also discovered that invisibility often gives a disadvantage to marginalized groups by disapproving their authority, recognition, voice, and legitimacy. But because social norms are based on dominant groups, invisibility works in favor of those members because that is which normal is unmarked and unnoticed.

The latest studies were done by both Kevin Lollar and Valerie Stead, who researched the theory from 2013 to 2015. They have come to the conclusion that visibility, hyper visibility, and invisibility are not mutually exclusive. They have identified that individuals could be visible in one context and invisible in another, or possibly hyper visible as outcasts and invisibility with having authority. They would go on to further explain how (in)visibility is engaged in relationships with other individuals and can be strategic with blending in and standing out. These individuals tend to seek to manage their visibility by having control of aspects that they believe should be observed and by who. With this theory being so young in the world of interpersonal communication, the future looks bright for up and coming studies to help polish this theory so that we can understand all its aspects.

Main Goals of the Theory of Hyper(in)visibility:

The theory of hyper(in)visibility’s primary goal is to guide others in analyzing texts, media, experiences, and more. Analyzing based on visibility, invisibility, hyper(in)visibility, and hypervisibility allows individuals to become more aware and document the violence occurring to spread awareness. This theory is not commonly known, and there are few academic articles, journals, and studies on this theory. Stereotypes in media and in person negatively impact people of color. Hypervisibility and hyper(in)visibility can result in violence against marginalized groups based on their stereotypes. Whether that violence is physical, political, or verbal, it needs to be stopped. This theory allows us to recognize who's being represented and how they're being represented.

Analyzing media based on this theory can help promote change and how marginalized groups are portrayed. Marginalized groups deserve to be represented in politics and media without stereotypes that negatively reflect and impact them. By growing awareness of this theory, individuals can point out negative stereotypes and fight for better representation of marginalized groups. Nobody should be represented negatively, especially marginalized groups that already go through so much.

Practical Applications of the Theory of Hyper(in)visibility:

      To review, the theory of Hyper (in)visibility involves the hyperfocus and/or microfocus of specific communities due to mass mediated conceptions. Hyper (in)visibility has several applications for several different communities. Whether it be in school, in the workplace, or just in everyday society the tenets of this theory are applied in most day to day life, especially for minorities. Stereotypes, labels, neglect, and overlooking are key traits that follow with this theory. For example in the article “Scrutinized but not recognized: (In)visibility and hypervisibility experiences of faculty of color” by Isis H. Settlesa, NiCole T. Buchananc, and Kristie Dotsond, discuss a real world application of Hypervisibility and Invisibility through faculty of color. They start off by going over how faculty of color struggle with being seen because of social and professional exclusion. Furthermore, this causes the feeling of lack of control with the invisibility and it causes distress. To help improve this problem faculty of color work towards inclusion and visibility by using strategic invisibility, working harder, and disengagement to remove themselves from bad situations of this. By applying these applications and tools they are able to slowly crawl out of invisibility.

     An important part of Hyper (in)visibility in media that the Textbook brings up is the black community in tv, especially black Women. For example the Textbook uses the example of Shondaland. It is important to note that tv shows and movies especially in the past 30 years have had more of a shift of inclusion of the black community if you're looking at film history over the past 100 years. However that said, especially with modern tv, this movement has created the perfect recipe for Hyper (in)visibility. In particular Shonda Rhimes (a ABC network creator) who favored colorblind casting which is casting a character without taking their ethnicity or skin color into consideration. This type of casting leads to the creation of hyper(in)visible characters, where when you completely take out race leads to the idea that “race no longer an important societal issue, further instantiates post-racialism, and floods the visual field with hyper(in)visible characters of color to the benefit of white society and the detriment of people of color”(Petermon,2018,p.116). So although colorblind casting might seem like a good idea on the outside, it actually just further devalues the hardships and obstacles this community faces, and does not rightfully represent them on the screen.                                    

     By taking these applications and recognizing what creates the environment for Hyper(in)visibility and what it is we can dismantle these stereotypes and biases. The important thing to takeaway is that it is important to research and represent these minority communities in the correct way and not just one way the media might show them. Sometimes what some might think is a great way to showcase a community can actually be more harmful than helpful. Not just in tv/media but in the workplace, politics, and lifestyle, it is so important we as a society take these applications into consideration.

Real World Examples of the Theory of Hyper(in)visibility:

Hyper(in)visibility can be found in a variety of different mediums in everyday life. Hyper(in)visibility can be seen from the everyday grocery store or workplace to more mainstream and widespread spaces such as books, films, and tv shows.

Some examples of hyper(in)visibility are found in the 2014 film, The Other Woman. This film features U.S. pop culture icon, Nicki Minaj in a small supporting role. Here, Minaj, who is of Afro-Caribbean descent had much of her screen time focused on her posterior while also contributing to yet another role of “black women sidekicks in post-feminist multicultural narratives”. In their Dissertation Petermon further explains in reference to this example how in this scene and many like this are a prime example of hyper sexualization of black women which shows how black women are being looked at but not seen in the larger cultural sphere.

This film also had another moment of hyper(in)visibility towards the black community. In the film there was a scene where protagonists Kate played by Leslie Mann and Carly played by Cameron Diaz are meeting for lunch which ultimately leads to a physical fight between the two. In this fight Petermon points out that the characters, Carly, and Kate, use African American Vernacular English and exaggerated body movements to emulate blackness. Petermon then goes on to explain the significance of how “blackness” entered this film centering on white upper class female empowerment through violence, which encourages the idea that racism is a thing of the past clouding the visibility of blackness and black bodies and the real violence inflicted on black people.

Hyper(in) visibility can also be seen in the real world through the harmful and sometimes even deadly effects due to these embedded stereotypes. For instance, after 911, Muslims had become extremely hyper-visible. If you were Muslims, Arabic- speaking or simply fit a stereotypical description you were specifically a target for discrimination and would be seen as terrorists. In regards to what is seen in the world through media and online it if common that Muslims specifically muslim women are left out of the media, but when they aren't, their whole identity within that piece of media is being Muslim. Also, in real life, hijabs make some Muslim women more easily recognizable which leads people to make their own assumptions without ever even speaking with them.  The textbook further explains how this hyper(in)visibility can and has resulted in systematic oppression, dehumanization, and exclusion and can even result in deadly consequences to the individuals suffering from hyper(in)visibility.                

Continuing The Conversation of the Theory of Hyper(in)visibility:

Remembering that the Hyper(in)visibility theory is the representation and under representation in media of different stereotypes in marginalized communities. In real world examples, we visit films and pop culture celebrities, however this theory can also be applied in the workplace, at schools, and overall society.

In the Journal of Vocational Behavior, Danielle Dickens discusses about how this theory can be observed in the work place in different ethnic groups. In this case the example is amongst black women in the corporate world and research was made in the strategies of identity shifting. the theories applied within this study were "identity negotiation theory, cultural contract paradigm, and the phenomenological variant of ecological systems theory". which later through the study explains that have a factor of shaping an African-American women experiences in the corporate world. After Dickens finished her research in this environment, she came to the conclusion that everyone in the work place goes through identity shifting, however, individuals with different marginalized identities (such as black women in this case) have increased possibilities of shifting their attitudes and identities since media in most instances portrays some of their cultural qualities and expression as negative.

Continuing this conversation, there have been many studies done around this theory. However, many of the done research for this topic is mainly about black and Hispanic ethnicities in our social communities in America.

References

Settles, Buchanan, N. T., & Dotson, K. (2019). Scrutinized but not

        recognized: (In)visibility and hypervisibility experiences of faculty of      

        color. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 113, 62–74.

        https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2018.06.003