Assignment 3: Personal Billboards

Personal billboards "advertise a reality to others about who we are, what we stand for, and what we consider important" (Newman, 73)

Personal License Plate, Blog as Billboard

I created a license plate from Tennessee, the state in which I was born. As a practitioner of yoga and a follower of the eight-fold path, I consider myself a yogi! While I can't actually put this plate on my car, I have used my blog as a place to showcase it - though this decision was, of course, shaped by the SOC1110 syllabus!

Vote NO

mnunited.org

The 2012 election was of significant importance to me for a number of reasons, most notably  that it was the first presidential election I was able to vote in. In addition to this, a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage was on the ballots. Voting “no” on the marriage amendment was something I felt very strongly about.

In the months leading up to the election, I was browsing the Minnesotans United for all Families website and ended up ordering a bumper sticker in order to show my support and solidarity with the LGBT community. Upon it's arrival I proudly pasted it onto my car, joining many other individuals in the Twin Cities who had erected “Vote No” signs on their lawns, and sported t-shirts and pins with the slogan.

 Of course it wasn't the personal “Vote No”  billboards alone which caused the ultimate rejection of the amendment. However, Minnesotans, like Becker's moral entrepreneurs (1963), who "by virtue of their initiative... skillful use of publicity and public relations... are able to turn their interests into public policy" (Hills, 1980).

Global Seva Challenge

offthematintotheworld.org

The Global Seva Challenge is a yearly international service project sponsored by Off the Mat, Into the World (OTM), a nonprofit organization whose mission is to "use the power of yoga to inspire conscious, sustainable activism and ignite grassroots social change” (offthemetintotheworld.org).

The 2012 Global Seva Challenge was focused on raising awareness of the global sex trafficking industry in India, and providing refuge and rehabilitation for survivors. In order to spread awareness of the cause, and send proceeds to the organization, I purchased a tank top with the 2012 Global Seva Challenge logo on the front, and the Off the Mat, Into the World logo on the back. In wearing the tank top, I advertise the existence of a reality most people in the US do not experience, and perhaps aren't even aware of.

Be You Melrose

“Be You is an eating disorder prevention and early intervention campaign sponsored by Park Nicollet Melrose Institute. It’s meant to instill positive body image in yourself and help you encourage it in others” 
(facebook.com/beyoumelrose)

Be You is a campaign I hold close to my heart. In September, 2012, at Minnesota's first National Eating Disorder Awareness walk, I picked up a Be You bumper sticker which simply states “be vibrant,” with “#beyoumelrose” written in a smaller font in the bottom right corner. I stuck the saying on my laptop in such a way that when it is open, people across from me can read it. My hope is that perhaps just one unknowing stranger will punch #beyoumelrose into their twitter account, or search “Be You Melrose” on Google to learn about the movement.

The Value of Personal Billboards

I believe personal billboards are a powerful way of voicing your opinions and sharing your beliefs. Though silent, these billboards are powerful in that they influence viewers on a subconscious level, shaping their perception of reality (Newman, 73). The three examples I have given above attest to my own use of personal billboards, all of which have an impact, no matter how subtle, on the individuals who are exposed to them. Even as you are reading this very blog post, you are being influenced by the images I have uploaded and the commentary I have attached to them.

Furthermore, I consider personal billboards of great value for their power of exceeding the “personal,” forming bonds among individuals who choose to present the same images to the public. Individuals toting paraphernalia from the same sports team, or wearing the same concert tee, may automatically feel a sense of understanding among one another, or at the very least, a sense of common ground. Symbols, such as personal billboards, which allow individuals to relate to one another, thus shed light on the intricate workings of societies.

Sources:


Newman, David (2012). Sociology: Exploring the Architecture of Everyday Life: 9th Edition. SAGE Publications. (p.1-52)
Becker, H.S. (1963). Outsiders: Studies in the sociology of deviance. New York, NY: Free Press
Hills, S. (1980). Demystifying social deviance. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
http://www.mnunited.org
http://www.facebook.com/beyoumelrose
http://www.offthematintotheworld.org