Security has many meanings to different people. Whether it's a good meal, a tradition, a place or a piece of clothing. This gallery explores the meaning of security in our community.
Security
The members of our group each studied seemingly very different individual issues. Cyber Terrorism, ISIS, and the South China Sea dispute were among the topics we researched and explored. What could all of these issues have in common? They are all so different - in location, culture and even type. But, we discovered a universal ideal that was able to unite all three. We decided that a common thread throughout our individual focuses was security. Each of our focuses gave us an insight into security - just what security is, how security changes throughout the globe and how fragile it can be.. For our PANc Images, we turned to our community to exemplify what security means to humanity as a whole. We targeted the downtown area , showing different parts of the city that displayed our global topic and vision in both symbolic and literal photos. Since there are so many different and diverse cultures in our community, we had to target things individually first, then piece it together to form the bigger picture (Pun intended).
One of the group’s favorites photos is the photo of the Church. This picture has a double meaning - one a bit more subtle than the other. The first idea we tried to convey was the secure ideals of religion. Religion has a huge grasp on our beliefs, values and lives. In the Middle East, religion and different sects of religion cause conflict. One of the newest threats in the region was studied by Kamryn Rothrock. She studied how radical sects of Islam were able to break off and become an oppressive force that would destroy security for millions - most recently embodied by ISIS. The other more literal topic was the man standing still, looking down at his phone right in front of the church. In our modern world, phones and devices make us feel more secure. We look to our phones as mediums for social networking, websites where we only show our idea of the best version of our self - a version that we have constructed in an attempt to erase all of our flaws because we are insecure about people seeing the real versions of ourselves.
Another photo we really liked was a picture of 'comfort' food. Food is a cultural universal, meaning it is present in all cultures, communities and societies. As James Beard says, "Food is our common ground, a universal experience." In every culture, food is an experience that connects us back to our roots. A familiar taste, a meal with loved ones, these are experiences that make us feel like we belong. Every pop of flavor, dramatized and enhanced by a connection or familiarization.
The photo of the market was an interesting one due to the panoramic properties and the huge amount of detail it captured. A market is a classic example of communal unity - a place where people can socialize, sell, buy and trade. Taking this picture was reminiscent of the fish markets in South Asia. Markets where fishermen had been pridefully selling their catch for decades. The dispute in the South China Sea has tragically razed most small fisheries. In turn, it has dried up local markets and the place that served as a secure community and business for many. This picture reminds us of just how fortunate we are to have these strongholds of security in our community, but connects to a situation that shows us just how quickly that can be lost.
Ultimately, we expanded upon our individual focuses and worked together to further learn about culture and security at a global level. It was fantastically eye-opening to apply these worldly ideals to our community. Throughout this project we have explored something that touches every single person on earth and attempted to demonstrate it through photos in our local community. It is truly amazing how exploring the globe can actually make you feel bigger.