write an argumentative essay on child labour should be a punishable offence

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Argumentative Essay Topic – Child Labour Should Be Banned

Child Labour Should Be Banned. You can find Previous Year Argumentative Essay Topics asked in ICSE board exams.

Introduction: Child labour should be banned.

• Children are forced to work, to eke out a living; impacts their impressionable minds
• They are exploited; made to work in hazardous factories
• Their survival instinct moulds their personality which makes them take to crime and anti social activities.
• The government has banned child labour which is not effectively enforced for there is no provision for their food and shelter.

Conclusion: Child labour must be effectively banned, ensuring at the same time that no child goes to sleep hungry.

“The child is the father of man,” said William Wordsworth, for the experience of childhood cast a shadow on the future. Children are imparted noble values and virtues, so that they grow up to be good and responsible citizens of the country. Making them work in the tender age not only destroys their future but is also detrimental for the country.

It is indeed unfortunate that children are forced to work, to eke out a living. The hands that should hold books and toys for study or play are used for hard manual work. Their gentle and impressionable minds, which ought to imbibe good and noble qualities, are exposed to the harsh realities of life. It is indeed a pity to see them toil and shoulder responsibilities, which are far more than their tender shoulders can bear. Childhood which comes once in a lifetime is wasted.

Being Weak and undemanding they are susceptible to exploitation. They work in the agricultural sector and in hazardous factories making fireworks and chemicals, risking their life to keep body and soul together. So tragic is their condition, that in the prime of their youth, they are a physical and mental wreck. Youth has bypassed them altogether.

Their survival instinct moulds their personality and attitudes, which makes them take to crime and anti social activities.The Chota Ranjans, the Dawood Ibrahims and countless others, bear testimony to what deprivation of childhood can lead to. Thus instead of growing up to be law-abiding citizens, they become a threat to the society.

Realising the gravity of the situation, the government has banned child labour, making it an offence under the law. It is however not effectively enforced. This is because no provision of food and shelter has been made for such children. It is because of this, the evil of child labour continues to gnaw into the vitals of the society.

No ban can work, unless such children are provided with food, shelter and education. This would not only bring back their childhood, but also secure the future of the nation. To spare the nation from the likes of mafia dons and criminals child labour must be effectively banned, ensuring at the same time that no child goes to sleep hungry.

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• ‘Exploitation of children as domestic help is an evil.’ Give your views for or against.
• ‘The child is father of the man’. Do you agree and if so why give reasons?

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How to Write a Child Labor Essay: Outline, Tips, & Titles

Child labor is a problem in both economically advanced and developing countries. That is why it makes a good topic for essays and research.

If you’re writing an essay on child labor, be ready for the horrifying information. We prepared an explanation of the problem, essay topics, and outlines. You can also find 200+ word essay samples in this article.

• 📚 Child Labor Essay Explained
• ✍️ Argumentative Essay Writing
• 🗣️ Persuasive Essay Writing
• 🔐 Problem-Solution Essay Writing

🚸 49 Child Labor Essay & Research Topics

📚 preparing for an essay on child labor.

Let’s begin with an overview of the problem.

In this passage, we will discuss how the problem appeared and developed. Then we will identify the current issues. You can find the information that you can use in your child exploitation essay. Next, begin your research on the topic.

What Are the Main Issues of Child Labor?

Child labor became a global issue during the industrial revolution. It created a demand for an additional workforce. To the present day, this question remains unsolved and puts millions of children in danger.

Let’s define the major themes that you can discuss in a child labor essay:

• Interfering with studies. Children who work full-time are not able to attend school and do their homework. Accordingly, a lack of education makes it hard for them to find better jobs. Kids need to do their best to receive as much knowledge as possible to be intellectually developed.
• Harm to physical and mental health. Working conditions are never at the appropriate level. An unhealthy environment leads to various diseases. Besides, some children work in the sex industry, which harms their mental stability.
• Some of the children become slaves. It involves trafficking and sale of children , forced labor, and all forms of slavery. There is nobody to take care of these children. Therefore, some of them end up wandering the streets.

Sources for a Child Labor Essay

Make sure you use credible information for all of your essays. Avoid such sources as social media, forums, and Wikipedia.

How to find sources for your child labor argument essay?

Here is our selection of reliable sources:

✍️ Child Labor Argumentative Essay Writing Guide

An argumentative essay is a perfect match for this issue. It gives a variety of research topics and information for solid arguments.

In a child labor argumentative essay, you need to convince that your point has a right to exist. You should use some evidence to support it. You also need to mention opposing opinions and explain them. This type of paper looks like a written debate. We will give some writing tips and help you to outline your work.

Child Labor Essay Outline

Before writing, you need to do prior research to find a topic. Your topic should be controversial, so there is an alternative point of view. If there is enough credible information on the chosen topic, you can continue. If not, try to broaden or change your primary focus.

1. Child Labor Essay Introduction

The introduction is where you need to provide the background information and a short overview of what will be in the following paragraphs. Include all the explanations and sources that might be hard to understand.

You can start with a hook introducing surprising information or asking a provocative question. Just make sure that it doesn’t break the general logic of your assignment.

Define why the topic is important and why the readers should pay attention to the issue. Introduce the point of view that you will prove in the paper.

2. Child Labor Essay Thesis Statement & Body

It is better to begin writing an essay with this part. Your thesis statement should be the last sentence of your introduction paragraph.

• What should you include there?
• Your position on the issue,
• The strongest arguments that prove it,
• A counterargument that opposes it.

Provide arguments and counterarguments. In other words, you have to make a list of the reasons that prove and rebut your opinion. Introduce the evidence that supports your and opposing points and explain its importance.

Each paragraph should revolve around a particular idea. You can include a transition sentence at the end of each passage. Do that if you feel it will bring more logic to your writing.

3. Child Labor Essay Conclusion

In this paragraph, provide a summary of the evidence. Don’t introduce any new information. It is better to synthesize what you’ve mentioned before. Make sure you answered the questions that you stated in the introduction.

Explain the significance of your point and research. Suggest ways of further research and investigation of the topic.

It is also the right moment to review your essay. If you see that your conclusion is not logical enough, return to your argumentation line. It will help you to identify the flows and fix the conclusion.

14 Child Labor Essay Titles

Here are some title ideas for a good argumentative essay about child labor:

• Child abuse and labor as modern society challenge .
• Should the minimum age of employment in the United States be changed? What are the risks of such a decision?
• Can work be a positive experience for children of school age? What are the risks and benefits?
• Does work influence school performance among children and teenagers?
• What can be considered “light work” when it comes to children’s employment?
• Can we control the online employment of children? For example, blogging, running a YouTube channel, etc.
• Are bad working conditions in India the leading cause of diseases among children? What are the main risks?
• Why it is important to rase societal awareness of the child labor problem .
• Is it possible for adolescents to successfully combine work and studies?
• Do household chores make children more responsible? Can it be counted as work?
• Can child domestic work be considered family violence ?
• How does work at a young age affect future earnings potential? Do these children become more or less successful?
• Should there be a minimum age requirement for working on small farms and family businesses?
• Effects of child labor in farming on children .

Child Labor Essay Examples #1

Check this excellent argumentative essay sample about child labor.

Topic: Should there be a minimum age requirement for work on small farms and family businesses? In the United States, half a million child farmworkers work in fields . Some start working full time even before they reach the age of ten. There should be a minimum age regulation of 15 years for children working for their parents. Children are less endurant in physical work, and they can’t be productive at school. Besides, chemicals used in agriculture are dangerous for health. Children are less physically developed than adults. Also, children need more time to recover from challenging physical activities. That is why they need to work not more than three hours a day. And from at least 15 years to handle the physical challenges. Studies need time and effort. Children engaged with hard physical work can’t get enough time to study and rest. Working instead of doing homework is the worst decision for school performance. Children should have an opportunity to devote enough time to their studies. Else they won’t be able to access better jobs in the future. Pesticides increase the risk for cancer in children. It includes leukemia, acute leukemia, and lymphoma risks. Children who work in agriculture are three times more likely to get cancer than adults exposed to carcinogenic effects. This makes children’s health more vulnerable to fatal outcomes. In conclusion, children’s work in agriculture should be restricted under the age of 15. Hard work affects children’s physical development, school performance, and health. It is vital to control children’s employment even if they work at their parents’ farms.

🗣️ Persuasive Essay on Child Labor Writing Guide

Writing a persuasive essay is also a good opportunity to develop this topic. Try to choose a catchy title that grabs your reader’s attention from the beginning. You can raise important questions which involve morality and ways of fighting the problem. Also, you can assess and propose strategies that can help to eliminate the issue.

In a persuasive essay, you need to convince your readers that you are right. To do this, you need to gather some logical evidence and prove your point using it. It involves less thorough academic research than an argumentative essay. However, you need to find a way to reach your readers.

There is a five-paragraph structure in this essay . A thesis statement plays a key role. You need to explain your point of view on the issue there. Then, provide the supporting evidence and the background information using persuasive language.

Child Labor Essay Introduction

There are three main parts that you need to include in the introduction:

• Hook. Make your first sentence exciting. A rhetorical question, fact, or mystery are all excellent choices. You can use descriptive words to make your readers picture everything.
• Background information. Use it to make your readers familiar with the problem.
• Definitions. Explain everything that might be uncertain for your readers.
• Thesis statement. Introduce your main argument. It will be the roadmap of your argumentation in the essay.

Child Labor Essay Thesis Statement & Body

Always make sure that the logic of your essay follows your thesis statement. If it doesn’t, consider rewriting the thesis or adjusting the arguments. Each of the paragraphs should represent one idea that appears in the thesis statement.

• Here are some additional tips on writing a persuasive essay on child labor: use empathy – target the audience’s emotions to prove your point; know both sides – research what you have to disagree with; be passionate about your topic – it’s easier to defend what you believe in.

Child Labor Essay Conclusion

Summarize your writing and paraphrase the child labor thesis statement . Mention all of your arguments again and explain why they make your opinion the only correct option. Some readers will remember only this part of the paper, so do your best to make the last impression. You can also call people to action at the end of the essay.

Read your essay once again in a couple of hours. Ask yourself these two questions:

• Would the writing convince me if I were the reader?
• What can I do to make it more convincing?

Make final adjustments after it.

15 Child Labor Essay Titles

These topics are perfect both for persuasive essays and speeches . Pick your title from our selection:

• Why shouldn’t we buy goods whose production involves child labor?
• All working children should receive free quality education and have access to schools.
• Child poverty in Canada as a reason for child labor .
• Girls’ education is equally important. We shouldn’t force girls to do household chores instead of homework.
• Why children’s employment under the age of 14 should be banned?
• Child abuse and labor effects on adult survivors .
• How can working children study and provide money to their families at the same time?
• Child labor deprives many children of education. Does child labor cause poverty from a long-term perspective?
• Child abuse and labor in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries .
• What is the main issue of child labor that should concern people the most?
• How does work affect children’s physical and mental development?
• The effects of child abuse and child labor .
• Should Amish children obey the same laws on children’s employment as other American citizens?
• What role does child labor play in Hindi culture and religion?
• Domestic violence and child domestic work as a form of child abuse .

Child Labor Essay Examples #2

Topic: Why shouldn’t we buy goods whose production involves child labor? Such industries as fast fashion take advantage of children. Children work in all the stages of the cotton supply chain. That is why fast fashion brands are so cheap. We shouldn’t buy clothes whose production involves child labor. These children are underpaid, suffer bad conditions, and can’t defend themselves against employers. Children don’t demand high salaries and receive less money as a result. For example, children who work in cottonseed farms in India earn less than $1 a day . Their working day can last up to 12 hours, making it 8 cents/hour. Buying cheap clothes might be pleasant, but we should know its price. The cotton industry exposes children to dangerous chemicals and machinery. They have to carry heavy loads and work in extreme temperatures. The food supply is not enough, and the working hours exceed the limit. Employers generally see children as more obedient workers who cannot stand for their rights. It results in worse working conditions, longer hours, and less attention to children’s comfort. Buying cheap clothes encourages cotton industries to involve more children in their production cycles. In conclusion, we shouldn’t buy fast fashion goods because it encourages companies to produce more clothes that involve child labor. Business models of such companies make their products not last long, making us buy more goods and employers hire more children. Instead, we need to buy clothes of better quality that will serve us longer. We also need to make sure that the production chain of the clothes we buy doesn’t involve any forms of underpaid jobs in severe conditions.

🔐 Problem Solution Essay about Child Labor

Child labor is generally one big problem that needs a solution. That is why you can write a very good essay on this topic. But better focus on specific issues rather than on the general problem.

In this passage, we prepared some tips, an outline, and a selection of child labor essay titles for a problem solution essay.

For this type of essay, there are two ways of building the argumentation line: chain method & block method . Both have a five-paragraph structure, but the logic might differ.

A problem-solution essay about child labor aims to identify the specific problem and offer logical solutions. It should encourage the readers to take a particular course of action.

First of all, you need to describe the background of the problem. Write about the situation and how it evolved. Then explain why it does require a solution. Briefly describe the contents of the following paragraphs. If there are subtopics, mention all of them.

Finish your introduction with a thesis statement. If needed, provide explanations or some definitions. Do it only if you know that your audience needs some clarification.

At first, you need to research the topic and narrow it down to a particular problem. Then prepare the best solutions, and describe why they are feasible. As your thesis statement should briefly describe the body paragraphs, make sure they don’t contradict each other.

• When presenting specific solutions, make sure they are logical. You need to convince your readers that the solutions you offer are the best course of action.

Make a summary of the main points of the body paragraphs. Restate the thesis and evaluate the suggested solutions. Answer all the questions you have mentioned in the introductory paragraph.

You can include unsolved problems and unanswered questions in the final sentences.

After finishing the conclusion, return to your child labor essay introduction and body. Proofread the spelling and grammar. Make sure that the writing is logical and solid.

Child Labor Essay Titles

Take a look at our selection of problem-solution essay titles:

• How to change labor laws in developing countries so children can combine school and work?
• Edo State is the most popular spot for human trafficking in Africa. How to stop child trafficking in Nigeria?
• Addressing the issue of the child poverty and labor .
• How to make education a priority for children and their parents in African countries?
• How to stop Indian families from forcing their children to work ?
• Child labor and child abuse: The role of nurses .
• How to break the cycle of poverty that child labor creates?
• What are the ways to prevent child exploitation in agriculture in Latin America?
• Breaking the cycle of family violence that working children often face .
• How to prevent children from engaging in the worst forms of child work in the Philippines?
• What can parents with low income do if they don’t want their children to work?
• Nurse’s role in preventing child abuse and child labor .
• What should be the punishment for employers who hire children in hazardous positions?
• How to define “child labor” correctly so the concept is never misunderstood?

Child Labor Essay Examples #3

Topic: How to break the cycle of poverty that child labor creates? Child labor deprives children of obtaining proper education, which is the leading cause of global poverty. They miss classes or don’t attend school at all. That is why it becomes harder for them to find well-paid jobs. To break the cycle of poverty, we should ensure children have access to schools. Volunteering in developed countries can help with that. Building more schools means that children from remote areas will have an opportunity to visit them. Providing access to the Internet to encourage online education is also a solution to this problem. While both methods are pricey, it is an investment that will pay off when these children start working. People from developed countries can play a significant role in eliminating child labor. Volunteer teachers can educate children and train local teachers. Encouraging volunteers to spend a couple of months in developing countries can help a lot. Gap year students and young specialists can take part in projects and initiatives to help end child labor. Parents often force their kids to work because they don’t have enough financial resources. The government needs to ensure funding for families, especially those which consist of many children. Such financial support can include stipends for low income. Parents can send their children to school knowing they will be financially safe. Education is the key to ending child labor. That is why countries need to make it a priority to ensure their economic growth. All the investments made for equal access to education and financial support to families will result in better job opportunities for children.

And here is our additional selection of titles for a child labor essay:

• What are the causes and effects of child labor in Asia?
• How are child labor laws violated in European countries?
• In what ways does globalization encourage child labor?
• History of child labor in western Europe.
• Research into human trafficking: Children as victims of human trafficking and forced child labor .
• Child slavery in the southern states in the 19 th century.
• How the Great Depression changed the situation with child labor?
• Which organizations are the most successful in fighting child labor?
• Which big corporations use child labor as a cheap workforce?
• Human trafficking as modern form of slavery: The effects on children .
• How did feminists contribute to child labor law adjustments?
• In what forms does child labor exist in the US?
• How does working from an early age affect mental health?
• Are there any improvements concerning child labor in Asia?
• How does child labor affect the economy of a country?
• Child Exploitation, Trafficking and Their Threats.
• Who has the power to restrict child labor fully?
• Can domestic work be considered child labor in the United States?
• What was Franklin D. Roosevelt’s political course regarding child labor?
• What conditions and working hours are acceptable to children?
• Legal systems, labor relations and regulatory practices related to child labor .
• What diseases are likely to affect children working in tobacco fields?
• How to support activism against child labor in the United States?
• Which cultures encourage children to earn money to support their families?
• How have child labor laws changed in the last 20 years?
• Negative effects of child abuse and child labor .
• Is it possible to end child labor completely?
• How Has Slavery Shaped the Lives of Children of Color in the US?
• The difference between southern and western states regarding child labor in the 20 th century.
• What is Camella Teoli’s impact on activism against child labor?
• Child slavery and prostitution in the state of Georgia .
• What was Woodrow Wilson’s position regarding child labor?
• Child labor during World War II in the United States.
• Why is it easier for employers to repress children’s rights?
• The influences of child labor on the child’s life .
• The history of child labor in Eastern European cultures.
• Fast Fashion brand’s impact on ecology and child labor.
• Poverty and sex trafficking among children: Qualitative systematic review .
• Can technological progress eliminate child labor in Asian countries?
• How does the economic inequality of countries affect the child labor situation?
• Child labor during the industrial revolution and excessive working hours.
• Employment law: Reforms necessary to change child labor laws .
• In what cases does working experience help children to become more successful?
• What is the connection between racism and child labor?
• Which countries are the least successful in fighting child labor?
• What are the long-term outcomes of child labor regarding education?
• Child trafficking: The use of children for forced labor and sex slavery .
• Why should we change parents’ mindsets when it comes to child labor?
• What is the current child labor situation in the United States?

Thank you for reading this article till the end!

Now you are ready to write a perfect essay on child labor. Let’s revise what we have learned today:

• How to prepare to write a child labor essay.
• How to choose credible sources.
• How to write an argumentative essay.
• How to write a persuasive essay.
• How to write a problem and solution essay.

Also, don’t forget to proofread your essay and return to this article once you have finished your work. Good luck!

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Essay on Child Labour for Students and Children

500+ words essay on child labour.

Child labour is a term you might have heard about in news or movies. It refers to a crime where children are forced to work from a very early age. It is like expecting kids to perform responsibilities like working and fending for themselves. There are certain policies which have put restrictions and limitations on children working.

The average age for a child to be appropriate to work is considered fifteen years and more. Children falling below this age limit won’t be allowed to indulge in any type of work forcefully. Why is that so? Because child labour takes away the kids opportunity of having a normal childhood, a proper education , and physical and mental well-being. In some countries, it is illegal but still, it’s a far way from being completely eradicated.

Causes of Child Labour

Child Labour happens due to a number of reasons. While some of the reasons may be common in some countries, there are some reasons which are specific in particular areas and regions. When we look at what is causing child labour, we will be able to fight it better.

Firstly, it happens in countries that have a lot of poverty and unemployment . When the families won’t have enough earning, they put the children of the family to work so they can have enough money to survive. Similarly, if the adults of the family are unemployed, the younger ones have to work in their place.

Moreover, when people do not have access to the education they will ultimately put their children to work. The uneducated only care about a short term result which is why they put children to work so they can survive their present.

Furthermore, the money-saving attitude of various industries is a major cause of child labour. They hire children because they pay them lesser for the same work as an adult. As children work more than adults and also at fewer wages, they prefer children. They can easily influence and manipulate them. They only see their profit and this is why they engage children in factories.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Eradication of Child Labour

If we wish to eradicate child labour, we need to formulate some very effective solutions which will save our children. It will also enhance the future of any country dealing with these social issues . To begin with, one can create a number of unions that solely work to prevent child labour. It should help the children indulging in this work and punishing those who make them do it.

Furthermore, we need to keep the parents in the loop so as to teach them the importance of education. If we make education free and the people aware, we will be able to educate more and more children who won’t have to do child labour. Moreover, making people aware of the harmful consequences of child labour is a must.

In addition, family control measures must also be taken. This will reduce the family’s burden so when you have lesser mouths to feed, the parents will be enough to work for them, instead of the children. In fact, every family must be promised a minimum income by the government to survive.

In short, the government and people must come together. Employment opportunities must be given to people in abundance so they can earn their livelihood instead of putting their kids to work. The children are the future of our country; we cannot expect them to maintain the economic conditions of their families instead of having a normal childhood.

{ “@context”: “https://schema.org”, “@type”: “FAQPage”, “mainEntity”: [{ “@type”: “Question”, “name”: “What causes child labour?”, “acceptedAnswer”: { “@type”: “Answer”, “text”: “Child Labour is caused by many factors. The most important one is poverty and illiteracy. When people barely make ends meet, they put their children to work so they can have food two times a day.”} }, { “@type”: “Question”, “name”: “How can we prevent child labour?”, “acceptedAnswer”: { “@type”: “Answer”, “text”:”Strict measures can prevent child labour. Unions should be made to monitor the activities of child labour. Education must be made free to enroll more and more kids in school. We must also abolish child trafficking completely to save the children.”} }] }

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Defining child labour: a controversial debate.

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While it is internationally agreed that the worst forms of child labour should be eliminated in order to promote children’s welfare, the consensus breaks down when trying to define what constitutes ‘light work’. This article seeks to show why it is difficult to get everyone to agree on this issue, focusing on the definition of child labour proposed by the International Labour Organization (ILO).

This article is hosted by our co-publisher Taylor & Francis.

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• Bhukuth, Augendra

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Child Labor Essay: Thesis, Examples, & Writing Guide [2024]

Children have always been apprentices and servants all over human history. However, the Industrial Revolution increased the use of child labor in the world. It became a global problem that is relevant even today when such employment is illegal.

Our specialists will write a custom essay specially for you!

The principal causes of child labor are as follows:

• Poverty, as kids have to work to support their families.
• Lack of access to education or its low quality.
• Culture, as some countries encourage kids to earn their pocket money.
• The growth of a low-paying informal economy.

The information you will find in this article can help you write a good child labor essay without any problems. Our professional writers gathered facts and tips that can help you with a paper on this topic. Nail your essay writing about child labor: thesis statement, introduction, and conclusion.

• 📜 How to Write
• ❓ Brief History
• ⚖️ Laws Today

🔗 References

📜 child labor argument essay: how to write & example.

Let’s start with tips on writing a child labor essay. Its structure depends on the type of your assignment : argumentative, persuasive, for and against child labor essay.

There’s nothing new in the essay structure: introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. However, you should pay close attention to your thesis statement about child labor as the subject is quite delicate.

Below you’ll find the essential information on what to write in your assignment:

Just in 1 hour! We will write you a plagiarism-free paper in hardly more than 1 hour

• The introduction may present the general meaning of the term “child labor.” In this part of your child labor essay, you may say that child labor means the work of children that aims at exploiting and harming them.
• The thesis statement should reveal your position on the issue. It’s the central idea of the paper. It may sound like “Not every kind of child labor is supposed to be exploitive.” Think about the phrasing of your child labor thesis statement.
• What are the reasons for the issue today? In this part of your essay, you have to present why child labor is widely-spread nowadays. Are there some positive factors for it?
• What jobs can be done by children? Give a list of possible careers, and present short descriptions of the duties children have to fulfill. Explain your job choice.
• How can we reduce child labor? Elaborate on why taking care of our young generation is crucial. What would you offer to reduce child labor?
• The conclusion of child labor essays should summarize everything that was said in the body. It should present the final idea that you have come up with while conducting your research. Make a point by approving or disapproving your thesis statement about child labor. Don’t repeat the central idea, but rather restate it and develop. If you’re not sure about what to write, you can use a summary machine to help you out.

We hope that now you have some ideas on what to write about. Nevertheless, if you still need some help with writing , you can check the child labor essay example:

For more facts to use in your essay, see the following sections.

❓ Brief History of Child Labor

The involvement of child labor became increasingly popular during the Industrial revolution . The factories ensured the growth in the overall standard of living, a sharp drop in the mortality rate in cities, including children. It caused unprecedented population growth. And with the help of machines, even physically weak people could work.

Operating power-driven machines did not require high qualification, but the child’s small height often was a better option. They could be installed quite closely to save the factory space. Some children worked in coal mines, where adults couldn’t fit.

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Thus, child labor has become an indispensable and integral part of the economy.

Even special children’s professions were formed. For example, there were scavengers and scribes in the cotton factories:

• Scavengers had to be small and fast. They crawled all day under the spinning looms, collected the fallen pieces of cotton, inhaled cotton dust, and dodged the working mechanisms.
• Scribes walked around the shop and sorted the threads that ran along with the machine. It was estimated that the child was passing about 24 miles during the working day.

Needless to say, that child labor conditions were far from perfect. The situation began to change in the early 1900s during social reform in the United States. The restricting child labor laws were passed as part of the progressive movement.

During the Great Depression , child labor issues raised again because of lacking open jobs to adults. The National Industrial Recovery Act codes significantly reduced child labor in America.

What about today?

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Child labor today in wealthy countries accounts for 1% of the workforce. At the same time, according to the International Labor Organization (ILO) , the highest ranges of working children are in Africa (32%), Asia (22%), and Latin America (17%).

🧒 Causes of Child Labor

Speaking about child labor, you should understand the factors that lead to children employment:

• Poverty . According to ILO, it is one of the significant causes of child labor. Children have to work to support their families. Sometimes up to 40% of a household income is the child’s salary.
• Lack of access to education . An absence of school or its distant location and low quality of education affect children around the globe. Unaffordable tuition in local schools drives children to harmful labor.
• Culture . In some developing countries, it is common for children and adolescents to help their parents in a family business. They earn their pocket money because people believe such work allows children to develop skills and build character. Other cultures value girls’ education less than boys, so girls are pushed to provide domestic services.
• The growth of a low-paying informal economy. This macroeconomic factor explains acceptability and demand for child labor.

⚖️ Child Labor Laws Today

Don’t forget to mention current labor laws and regulations in your child labor assignment. You can mention slavery and human trafficking linked to the issue even today. You may refer to international laws or analyze legislative acts in different countries.

For example, the Fair Labor Standards Act determines age restrictions, jobs allowed for teenagers, and necessary paperwork.

Other acts, programs, and initiatives you should mention are:

• Convention on the Rights of the Child
• Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention
• Minimum Age Convention
• Medical Examination of Young Persons (Industry) Convention
• Australia’s and UK’s Modern Slavery Acts
• National Framework for Protecting Australia’s Children 2009-2020
• International Program on the Elimination of Child Labor
• Child Labor Deterrence Act of 1993

When writing about child laws against child labor, you may also explore the best and worst countries for children’s work conditions.

You may also mention child labor incidents:

• UNICEF’s report on using enslaved children in cocoa production.
• Child labor in Africa’s cobalt, copper, and gold mines.
• GAP, Zara, Primark, H&M’s products made with cotton, which may have been picked by children. You can also find extra information on companies that use child labor.
• Child labor in silk weaving factories.

Child Labor Essay Examples

• Child labor’s negative impact on human development . 
• Child labor and social worker interventions . 
• Child labor in the fashion industry . 
• Child labor, its forms, and disputable issues . 
• Child labor in Ghanaian and Bangladeshi industries . 
• Ethics in business: child labor in the chocolate industry.  
• Massive industrialization and modern child labor . 
• Child labor’s role in the global economy . 
• Samsung and child labor: business ethics case . 
• Child labor’s role in westernization and globalization . 

Child Labor Essay Topics

• Analyze the connection between poverty and child labor. 
• Discuss the reasons for the high trafficking of children rates.  
• Explain why child labor is among topical issues in the modern world.  
• What can be done to reduce child trafficking rates?  
• Explore the ways labor unions help to fight child labor.   
• Describe the child labor laws around the world and evaluate their effectiveness.  
• Analyze the cases of child exploitation in sweatshops in developing countries. 
• Discuss the social issues connected with child labor .   
• Examine the impact of child labor on children’s physical and mental health.  
• The role of UNICEF in the abolition of child labor and exploitation.  
• Child trafficking as a primary human rights issue.  
• The absence of adequate punishment is the reason for increased child slavery rates. 
•  Analyze if current measures to prevent child exploitation are sufficient enough.  
• Discuss how social media platforms facilitate child trafficking .   
• Examine the social impact of child exploitation and trafficking .  
• Describe how the attitude towards child labor depends on the specifics of the country’s culture.  
• Explore how Zara’s use of child labor influenced its public image.  
• What organizations deal with commercial child exploitation prevention?  
• What can a healthcare professional do to help the victims of child exploitation ?  
• Analyze the urgency of creating an effective program for the recovery of child trafficking victims .  
• Discuss the laws regulating child labor in different countries.  
• Explain the connection between the level of education in the country and child labor rates.  
• The role of parents in the success of child labor and exploitation prevention.  
• Explore the history of child labor.  
• Can labor be the way to teach children about basic life skills?  
• The disastrous effect of child trafficking on the mental health of its victims.  
• Discuss the problems connected with child trafficking and exploitation investigation. 
• Examine the cases of using child soldiers in modern armed conflicts.  
• Analyze the role of international organizations in saving child soldiers .  
• The use of abducted children as frontline soldiers in Uganda.  
• What can be done to overcome the issue of child soldiers in the near future?  
• Discuss what fashion brands can do to prevent the use of child labor in overseas sweatshops .   
• Explain why young workers are more vulnerable to exploitation compared to adult workers.  
•  Explore the issue of child labor and exploitation in the Industrial Age .  
• Analyze how child labor affects the education of children . 
• Describe the business ethics of child labor.  
• Who is responsible for the use of child labor at tea plantations?   
• Examine the reasons for using child labor in mining in the 19 th century . 
• Employing child labor as one of the most widespread violations of children’s rights .  
• Discuss the motives that push children to participate in labor.  

How old were you when you got your first job? Was it hard? Share with us your experience and advice in the comments below! Send this page to those who might require help with their child labor essay.

• Child Labor Issues and Challenges: NIH
• Child Labor: World Vision Australia
• Essay Structure: Harvard University
• Child Labor: Human Rights Watch
• Child Labor: Laws & Definition: History.com
• Child Labor: Our World in Data
• History of Child Labor in the United States, Part 1: Little Children Working: US Bureau of Labor Statistics
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Home — Essay Samples — Social Issues — Child Labour — Child Labour Should Be Stopped

Child Labour Should Be Stopped

• Categories: Child Labour

About this sample

Words: 942 |

Published: Nov 5, 2020

Words: 942 | Pages: 2 | 5 min read

Table of contents

Understanding the complex problem of child labour, strategies for combating child labour, the role of international collaboration.

• International Conventions and Agreements play a crucial role in the fight against child labour. Nations should ratify and implement international conventions such as ILO Convention No. 182, which calls for the elimination of the worst forms of child labour, including hazardous work. Harmonizing international standards is essential to creating a unified front against child labour.
• Supply Chain Transparency is a responsibility that businesses must embrace. Companies should take proactive measures to ensure that child labour is not a part of their production processes. Transparency and accountability in supply chains can help identify and rectify instances of child labour, ultimately driving positive change in corporate practices.
• Support for Developing Nations is pivotal in the global effort to combat child labour. Wealthier nations should provide financial and technical assistance to developing nations, helping them implement effective strategies to eradicate child labour. This assistance can be channeled into education, healthcare, and poverty reduction programs, addressing the root causes of child labour and fostering sustainable development.
• Cigno, A., & Rosati, F. C. (2002). Child labor, nutrition, and education in rural India: An economic analysis of parental choice and policy options. Oxford Economic Papers, 54(4), 584-618.
• Duflo, E. (2001). Schooling and labor market consequences of school construction in Indonesia: Evidence from an unusual policy experiment. American Economic Review, 91(4), 795-813.
• Edmonds, E. V. (2007). Child labor. In T. P. Schultz & J. Strauss (Eds.), Handbook of Development Economics (Vol. 4, pp. 3607-3709). Elsevier.
• International Labor Organization. (1999). Convention No. 182 - Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182). Retrieved from https://www.ilo.org/dyn/normlex/en/f?p=NORMLEXPUB:12100:0::NO::P12100_INSTRUMENT_ID:312255
• International Labor Organization. (2017). Global estimates of child labor: Results and trends, 2012-2016. Retrieved from https://www.ilo.org/global/topics/child-labour/publications/WCMS_575499/lang--en/index.htm
• International Labor Organization. (2021). Alliance 8.7. Retrieved from https://www.ilo.org/global/topics/child-labour/WCMS_575551/lang--en/index.htm
• United Nations. (1989). Convention on the Rights of the Child. Retrieved from https://www.ohchr.org/en/professionalinterest/pages/crc.aspx

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Child Labour Essay | 1400 Words

Outlines of the english essay on child labour.

• Introduction

Culture of Poverty

Illiterate parents.

• Over Population

Government Negligence

• More Illiteracy
• A rise in Social Crimes & Terrorism
• Impacts on Social Development & Progress
• Malnourishment & Health Issues among Children

More Child Labour in Future

Role of government, role of media, child labour essay.

Child labour means ‘perforce work carried out by children for sustenance that deprives them of their childhood and their basic rights such as education, mental and physical nourishment, etc.’ According to the United Nations, children employed under the age of 18 would fall under the definition of child labour.

This phenomenon is very common in third-world or developing countries. It is very common to see small children (young boys) working at workshops, restaurants, industries, mills, shops, service stations, etc. in such countries. On the other hand, young girls are mostly involved in domestic work.

According to the 2011 census, 10.1 million children are working in India. Similarly, around 12.5 million children are working in Pakistan. As per global estimates , 152 million children – out of which 64 million girls and 88 million boys – are in child labour globally.

There are multiple reasons and factors that give rise to child labour. As it is considered an evil in society that gives rise to multiple social issues in the long run; child labour must be curbed from society otherwise it will continue wreaking havoc in multiple ways.

Reasons & Factors Behind Child Labour

There are multiple factors responsible for child labour. However, we will discuss some most prominent factors in this essay.

Poverty is one prominent reason behind child labour. Many poor parents, who cannot afford their daily-based expenses, force their children to do labour and earn money at a very young age.

According to United Nations’ Millennium Development Goal Programme, 6.7 per cent of India’s total population is living below the poverty line. Similarly, according to Asian Development Bank’s report , 24.3 per cent of the total population in Pakistan is living below the poverty line.

Such a huge chunk of the population is unable to provide food, clothes, and shelter to their children; ultimately forcing them to work and earn for the family.

The culture of poverty is also a major factor behind child labour. For example, those parents who are raised doing labour in their childhood implement the same practice in their children too in future.

Poverty culture is a vicious circle that keeps generations to come in the poverty loop. Hence, such parents bring up their children the way they themselves are brought up.

Another major factor behind child labour is uneducated or illiterate parents. An illiterate person does not understand the worth of education. So he abstains from spending money on his children’s education.

According to Statista , illiteracy in Pakistan stands at 41 per cent. Similarly, in India, circa 26 per cent of the total population is illiterate. Illiteracy is further breeding illiteracy in the countries like these by keeping children away from education and forcing them to work at a very early age.

An illiterate person does not know the rights of his child and his responsibilities to him. Rather, he thinks of himself as a master and his child as his servant who is bound to work and earn for him. Similar thinking patterns exist mostly in third-world countries among illiterate people.

Over-Population

Illiteracy and overpopulation go hand in hand. Without any prior thought to future implications, illiterate parents pay no heed to proper family planning. Hence, when it becomes difficult for them to raise or sustain their many children; they force their children to work and earn.

Moreover, the government also fails to make effective policies for a growing population. Owing to budgetary constraints, it fails to provide free education or allowances to all children.

Last but not least, government negligence towards this menace is adding insult to injury. While it is growing, the respective governments seem to be quite oblivious to it. No effective laws or policies exist that could curb child labour. The administration does not even consider it something serious to deal with.

Having discussed the potential reasons for child labour, it is pertinent to discuss its potential consequences.

Consequences of Child Labour

Following are some prominent impacts of child labour on society.

A Rise in Illiteracy Rate

An increase in child labour is akin to an increase in illiteracy in society. Child labour deprives children of their basic right to education.

When these children grow up, they become a burden on society. They lack the fundamental knowledge and skills to play their role in the progress of society.

A Rise in Terrorism and Social Crimes

Such children are vulnerable and can easily play in the hands of terrorist organizations. These terrorist groups use them for their own ulterior motives. Mostly, this class of society is involved in most of the terrorist activities performed. Usually, criminal gangs are always in search of such vulnerable people.

Moreover, this class is the most deprived class in society. Afflicted with this sense of exploitation and deprivation, they utilize every illegal way to obtain money and fulfil their wishes. This gives rise to more heinous crimes in society. Snatching, burglary and theft become common. This is what Social Disorganization Theory and Merton’s Strain Theory in Criminology talk about.

Furthermore, such children are more prone to learn criminal behaviour from their peers. Social Learning Theory in Criminology sheds light on this phenomenon.

Impact on Social Progress & Development

Any country that has a high child labour rate will always be low on the progress scale. As education is the key to progress and development; when children are deprived of education, they fail to become responsible citizens of the country. Rather than playing a positive role in a country’s development, they hamper the progress of the country.

Malnourishment and Health Issues

Child labour impacts the physical and mental health and growth of children. Mostly, such children have to face malnourishment and multiple health issues. In most cases, these children easily become drug addicts which further deteriorates their mental and physical conditions.

A child who has done labour at an early age, when grows up and becomes a father; tends to follow the example of his father. This is what the culture of poverty is all about. This is a vicious circle that continues for ages.

Mostly, that child when becomes a father forces his own children to work and earn for him in most cases. Thus, child labour keeps breeding more child labour in society.

Suggestions/Way Out

Following are some suggestions to root out child labour from society.

First and foremost, it is the responsibility of the government to make effective laws and policies that can uproot child labour. It must make child labour a punishable offence. For that, the government must make laws to punish all those who employ children under 18 years of age.

Moreover, the government must provide free and compulsory education to all children. It should also make arrangements to provide free treatment and health services to children.

Furthermore, the government must also provide allowances to poor parents to support their children.

Role of NGOs

Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) can also play a significant role in curbing child labour. They can accumulate funds for all such poor children. On their part, they can establish educational and skill development institutes for poor children.

Moreover, these organizations can also do door-to-door campaigns to raise awareness among parents. They can also educate/guide parents on the rights of children and their proper nourishment.

Last but not least, the media can play a very effective role in eliminating child labour from society. As the media has the largest outreach and can effectively mould the thinking of the public; it can easily make the public aware of the curse of child labour.

To cap it all, child labour must be put on the front burner and dealt with on an urgent basis. As an adage goes, ‘Child is the father of the man’; hence, proper attention must be paid to the upbringing of the children. Children are the future of the nation. Water them today and they will bear fruits for society tomorrow.

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Essay on Child Labour: Meaning, Causes, Effects, Solutions

Category: Essays and Paragraphs , Social Issues On February 19, 2019 By Victor

Introduction:  A child should not be subjected to work at the expense of his or her education and dreams. Child labour robs minors of the opportunity to enjoy their childhood, go to school, and have a decent shot at success.

It condemns them to a life of limited opportunities. It is, therefore, necessary to ensure that every child is protected and not exploited for cheap labour.

It is not just the responsibility of the parents to eliminate child labour but also that of the government and the society. In India, the total number of child labourers, aged between 5 and 14, is estimated to be at 10.1 million. (source: wikipedia )

Child labour refers to the use of children as a source of labour while depriving them of their fundamental rights in the process. Such rights include the opportunity to enjoy their childhood, attend school regularly, have peace of mind, and live a dignified life.

Child labour can also refer to the practice of exploiting children for financial gain. Some industries employ children in order to cut down on labour costs since their wage demand is low.

Work that places children in a situation that is socially, mentally, physically, or morally harmful and dangerous is also defined as child labour because it ignores the well-being of such children.

When children are made to perform work that is legally prohibited to be performed by children of a certain age group, such type of work is also referred to as child labour.

According to wikipedia , Child Labour is the practice of having children engage in economic activity, on a part- or full-time basis. The practice deprives children of their childhood, and is harmful to their physical and mental development.

Child labour is caused by several factors. Some of them include:

1. Poverty:  This is the single biggest factor contributing to the children working hard in factories or shops or construction sites rather than playing and getting an education. Families do not have enough resources and children often become the means for more income, even if it means having to forego the privileges of childhood. Children who come from poor families may be forced to work to support their siblings and parents or supplement the household income when expenses are more than the parents’ earnings. It is a huge problem especially in developing countries where parents are unable to generate income due to the lack of employment opportunities or education. Children can be found employed in mines or hawking in the streets to earn money that is used to provide basic necessities such as food and clothing for the family. Children may also be employed in factories to generate income for the family instead of attending school. Some children have left orphans or abandoned due to poverty. Such children do not have anyone to take care of them and end up working to feed themselves unless taken up by orphanages. Such a practice is a common phenomenon in poverty-stricken regions with large factories set up by international companies.

2. Low Aspiration: It is important for parents and children to understand that they can work hard and make something great of themselves. Low aspirations by parents and children is a major cause of child labour because in such a situation, being employed in a local factory, or selling grocery in the streets is the normal way of life. To these types of children and parents, success only belongs to a certain region or group of people. They do not aspire to become professionals in the society or great entrepreneurs. It is a mindset that forms the very foundation of child labour.

3. Huge demand for unskilled labourers: The demand for unskilled labourers is another cause of child labour. Children are mostly unskilled and provide a cheap source of labour, making them an attractive option for many greedy employers. Child labour, by virtue of being cheap, increases the margin of profits for such entrepreneurs whose only objective is profit maximization even if it comes at the expense of ethics and good business practices. These types of employers can also force children to work under unfavorable conditions through manipulation or blatant threats.

4. Illiteracy: A society with many educated people understands the importance of going to school and pursuing dreams. Children have the ability and time to become whatever they aspire to be. Illiteracy , on the other hand, makes it difficult for many people to understand the importance of education. Illiterate people view education as a preserve of the privileged in the society. They will therefore not provide support to children so that they can go to school and build solid foundations for future success. The same view of life is seen among illiterate parents who prioritize children contributing to the upkeep of the family over going to school.

5. Early Marriages: Marrying at an early age is a major contributing factor to overpopulation. Having many children with little or no resources to support them leads to child labour. Older children are forced to work in order to help their parents support the family.

6. High cost of education: Quality education is expensive. To many parents who live in abject poverty, priority is given to providing food for the family because education is too expensive to afford especially when there are many children to pay school fees for. Instead of letting children stay at home because there is lack of money to send them to school, parents opt to have them working as unskilled labourers to help support the family. Some parents can also only afford basic education which means that children will be forced to look for work since they cannot pursue their education further.

7. Gender discrimination:  Often girls are required to quit school and take up work to supplement family income until they are suitably married off. This too is an observation in typically vulnerable classes.

8. Family tradition:  Many families with businesses or traditional occupations like arts, etc. expect the children to work to be able to pass on the traditional arts or business only by experience.

Consequences / Effects:

Child labour has several negative impacts. Some of them include:

1. Loss of Quality childhood: It is important for human beings to enjoy every stage of their development. A child should play with friends and make memories for a lifetime. Youths should explore life and form strong foundations that would define their adult lives. Child labour, therefore, leads to loss of quality childhood as children will be deprived of the opportunity to enjoy the amazing experiences that come with being young. Children are often encouraged to play because it helps in their growth and development. A child forced to work will miss many of the good things associated with childhood.

2. Health issues: Child labour can also lead to health complications due to undernourishment and poor working conditions. It is highly unlikely that people who employ children also have the moral capacity to ensure that they have good working conditions. Working in places such as mines and badly conditioned factories may result in lifetime health issues for children employed to work in these places. A child assigned physically demanding duties may suffer physical trauma that may scar him or her for life.

3. Mental trauma: It is not a pleasant experience to be kept working as a child while your age-mates are out playing and going to school. Children also lack the ability to shield themselves from most of the challenges that occur in the workplace. Issues such as bullying, sexual exploitation, and unfavorable working hours may result in mental trauma in these children. They will find it hard to forget the past and may become societal misfits because of bad childhood experiences. Child labour may also result in the lack of emotional growth and thus insensitivity.

4. Illiteracy: Children that are employed do not have the time to go to school. They spend a lot of time in their workstations as the days and years go by. The lack of education and illiteracy makes them individuals with limited opportunities as far as employment is concerned. Education also prepares a person for several challenges in the society and without it, one may turn out to lack the basic skills required to overcome many of life’s problems. An individual who has gone to school may be aware of how to approach certain situations in life without resorting to brute force. An illiterate person, on the other hand, considers force to be the only answer to nearly all of the challenges experienced.

How can child labour be reduced or completely eradicated?  Every child born has the right to have dreams and pursue those dreams. Even though the realization of some of these aspirations may be limited by several challenges, it is still possible to overcome them and achieve the highest levels of success.

There is need to involve various stakeholders to realize this objective. These are some of the ways in which the problem of child labour can be addressed:

1. Free education: Free education holds the key to eliminating child labour. Parents that do not have money for school fees can use this as an opportunity to provide their children with education. It has already proved to be a success in many places around the globe and with more effort, the cases of child labour will greatly reduce. Mid-day meals schemes can also be used as a motivating factor for children whose parents can barely afford a meal to learn. Even if they will be attending school because of the free meals, they will still be able to learn and create a good education foundation for themselves.

2. Moral Polishing: Child labour should not be entertained at all. It is legally and morally wrong. Children should not be allowed to provide labour at the expense of getting an education and enjoying their childhood. Factory owners, shopkeepers, and industries among others should not employ children. The society should be educated on the negative impacts of child labour so that it becomes an issue that is frowned upon whenever it occurs. This type of moral polishing would act as a deterrent to people who intend to employ children and use them as a source of cheap labour. Many of the ills that go on in the society do so because people turn a blind eye or fail to consider their moral impacts. With this kind of approach, cases of child labour will greatly fall among our communities.

3. Create demand for skilled and trained workers: By creating the demand for skilled and trained workers, child labour cases will reduce since almost all child labourers fall under the unskilled worker category. It will lead to adult employment as the demand for skilled labour rises. Establishing skill-based learning centers, vocational training centers, and technical training institutions improves literacy and contributes to the availability of skilled and trained workers in the job market. Creation of job opportunities by the government is also another way that cases of unemployment can be reduced and household income for the population increased. Such government policies improve living standards and eliminate the need for children to seek work in order to support their families.

4. Awareness: Creating awareness about the illegality of child labour can also help in stemming the practice. Parents should be made aware that sending their children to work has legal ramifications and the law would take its course if they are found to be aiding and abetting this vice. It is the ignorance among many parents and members of the society that makes them participate in child labour practices. Conducting a campaign to create awareness about its harmful effects would eliminate the practice. The government, together with non-governmental organizations and the civil society, can create a strategy to make such an initiative a success.

5. Empowerment of poor people: Poor people are the most affected by child labour. The poor living standards and financial constraints sometimes make them unwilling participants in this vice. Empowering poor people through knowledge and income generating projects would go a long way in reducing cases of child labour. Parental literacy also plays an important role in ensuring that the rights of children are upheld, and minors are not used as a source of labour. Empowering parents with this kind of knowledge can create a positive change in the society and encourage the shunning of child labour practices in communities.

Indian Laws relating to Child Labour

• As per the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986, amended in 2016 (“CLPR Act”), a “Child” is defined as any person below the age of 14, and the CLPR Act prohibits employment of a Child in any employment including as a domestic help. It is a cognizable criminal offence to employ a Child for any work. (source: wikipedia )
• In addition, various laws in India, such as the Juvenile Justice (care and protection) of Children Act-2000, and the Child Labour (Prohibition and Abolition) Act-1986 provide a basis in law to identify, prosecute and stop child labour in India. (source: wikipedia )
• : The Factories Act of 1948  prohibits the employment of children below the age of 14 years in any factory. The law also placed rules on who, when and how long can pre-adults aged 15–18 years be employed in any factory. (source: wikipedia )
• The The Mines Act of 1952  prohibits the employment of children below 18 years of age in a mine. (source: wikipedia )

Child labour should never exist. However, it is still noticeable that people around the country hire children so that they will have the benefit of paying low wages to them. One should do not encourage child labour, and neither one should let any other to hire a child to any job.

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Causes and Effects of Child Labor Essay

Introduction, causes of child labor, effects of child labor.

As a rule, people start their professional careers when they are of full age. In this case, they can work full-time, while employers do not face any significant issues with workers of this group. At the same time, many people start working, either legally or not, when they are younger than 18 years old, which is known as child labor. It should be mentioned at once that there are two representations of this phenomenon in the modern world.

On the one hand, it refers to those underage citizens who have the possibilities and right to work under the law. On the other hand, numerous teenagers become involved in illegal labor activities because harsh external conditions force them. According to van Wormer and Link (2015), it is necessary to distinguish between the two variations above, and the second type of child labor is a severe problem both for developed and developing states. Thus, this phenomenon can have economic, personal, and social reasons, while its effects can be detrimental both for individuals and whole countries.

As has been stated previously, there are many reasons for this phenomenon to exist. Among them, economic matters are said to have the most crucial impact. It is generally accepted that child labor rates are higher in those areas where people are forced to live close to poverty. It can refer to both underdeveloped states and troubled regions of developed countries. J. Sarkar and D. Sarkar (2015) denote that there are secure connections between “child labor and income inequality” (139). As soon as people are forced to struggle in finding means of subsistence, it is not a surprise that many children start working to earn some money. Thus, economic conditions represent the most popular phenomenon that results in child labor.

Social reasons are said to be closely connected to economic ones, but they consider the issue from a different point of view. Even if a child lives in a family with a more or less satisfactory income level, they can become involved in child labor because many people around them do the same. It refers to the fact that the social environment influences individuals heavily. For example, if a child from a secured family appears among representatives of lower classes, there is an opportunity that this child will soon start speaking and acting like these people. In other words, the social reasons stand for the reverse side of the economic causes. When some teenagers do not have enough money, they start working early, and it becomes a destructive example for other children.

Then, a phenomenon of child labor exists and prospers because of personal or family reasons. On the one hand, a parent or parents can get seriously ill or even die, which makes underage people take care of themselves. In this case, finding work seems to be one of the essential steps to survive. On the other hand, many teenagers become involved in child labor because they want it without any apparent economic and social preconditions. However, once they start their early professional careers, it is difficult for them to escape. Even if the working conditions are severe, children cannot leave a job because they appear in a labor trap (Smith 2015). In this case, a single mistake negatively influences many lives.

Thus, the causes above are interconnected, and it makes the situation with child labor severer. As soon as they evoke one another, it is impossible to tell which group of reasons has influenced more children or which of them is more dangerous than others. However, there are no doubts that these causes cannot go unnoticed, and they imply substantial consequences for both underage workers and whole states.

As has been mentioned previously, child labor has numerous effects. Firstly, it refers to health issues that can arise from premature working activities. One should note that the phenomenon under consideration mainly denotes teenagers who are involved in hard labor rather than brainwork in comfortable conditions. Thus, when underage people regularly deal with exhaustible physical activities, it influences their organisms significantly (J. Sarkar and D. Sarkar 2015). As a result, these children witness heart, back, and other related issues.

Furthermore, their moral order will appropriately decrease against the background of health problems. What is more, unless the teenagers change their working activity, the given state of affairs will become only worse for them. As a result, adults will have to deal with consequences, even though the mistakes were made long ago.

The second effect is connected with education, in general, and school enrollment, in particular. It is said that there are “significant negative relations between all forms of child labor and school enrolment” (Putnick and Bornstein 2015, 117). It is proven that those children who are involved in labor activities have neither time nor effort to attend schools. In addition to that, even those unofficially employed teenagers who attend schools show poor results in comparison with those children who focus solely on education. Consequently, if children experience problems with schools, it will be difficult for them to continue their education further, which is necessary for their future successful careers. Thus, the situation is the same because people make severe mistakes while they are young, and these errors influence their further life.

In addition to that, the individual problems above are combined and create crucial issues for whole countries. On the one hand, when many children miss schools, it negatively influences the situation in a country. For example, this state of affairs can create a shortage of educated and skillful specialists in various spheres of economy, technology, scientific area, and others. On the other hand, the situation with aggravated health also has an impact on countries. In this case, a significant number of people with limited physical abilities cannot be advantageous, and when it refers to the youth, it evokes even more crucial issues. Thus, governments are interested in solving the case with child labor.

Child labor is an essential phenomenon in the modern world because many people under 18 years old start their labor activities prematurely. Even though the term also refers to those children who work under the law, a majority of teenagers are involved in labor illegally. It exists due to many reasons, with economic, social, and personal ones are among them. It is difficult to mention which of them has more impact, and the three introduce essential reasons. Furthermore, child labor can be dangerous for individuals because it worsens their health and prevents them from obtaining a decent education. Thus, states struggle from this phenomenon because a significant number of uneducated young people with poor health conditions will result in appropriate problems for a country.

Putnick, Diane L., and Marc H. Bornstein. 2015. “Is Child Labor a Barrier to School Enrollment in Low- and Middle-Income Parties?” International Journal of Educational Development 41: 112-120.

Sarkar, Jayanta, and Dipanwita Sarkar. 2015. “Why Does Child Labor Persist with Declining Poverty?” Economic Inquiry 54 (1): 139–158.

Smith, Stephen C. 2015. Ending Global Poverty: A Guide to What Works. New York: St. Martin’s Press.

Van Wormer, Katherine S., and Rosemary J. Link. 2015. Social Welfare Policy for a Sustainable Future: The U.S. in Global Context. California: SAGE Publications.

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1. IvyPanda . "Causes and Effects of Child Labor." November 1, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/causes-and-effects-of-child-labor/.

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The Pictorial Turn

The rise of contemporary visual communication studies was preceded by centuries of thought and writing concerning the arts and the visual image. Yet the last decades of the twentieth century saw a renewed philosophical concern with the visual that Mitchell (1994) calls “the pictorial turn.” This increased attention to the visual can be seen as an outgrowth of scholarship on photography, which since the middle of the nineteenth century has continually explored and revisited the nature of the photographic image as a reflection of reality. Whether couched in terms of art vs. science, pictorial expression vs. mechanical record, or trace vs. transformation, the practice of photography has been dogged by ongoing contradictions between the craft of picture-making and the status of photographs as technological recording. Similarly, the extensive literature of film theory has revolved around questions of cinema’s proper aesthetic status.

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An important foundation for the development of visual communication studies, film theory synthesized a body of concepts and tools borrowed from the study of art, psychology, sociology, language, and literature, and work in visual communication has often returned to these various sources for new applications to photography, design, electronic imaging, or virtual reality. Central issues have included the distinction between formative and realist theories, and the scope and centrality of narrative, issues that have preoccupied the philosophy of representation more generally.

Theoretical Approaches

The precise nature of visual images as copies or records continues to be a defining issue for visual communication studies in an era of ubiquitous photo-electronic reproduction, with various technical advances promising ever more convincing images and simulations of the external world. Against the commonsense assumptions so often made that visual media give us a window on reality, from the beginning photography and film studies have interrogated the ways in which such ‘windows’ are created and structured to shape our view.

British cultural studies also incorporated work on film and photography to analyze the culturally constructed nature of visual representation, what many Anglo scholars increasingly called ‘lens theory.’ Concurrently, interest in the psychology of the visual made its way through art history to visual media studies. For instance, Gombrich makes the case that picture forms of all kinds are conventionally constructed according to learned schemata, not simply copied from nature. Pictures rarely stand alone, and rarely communicate unambiguously when they do. Together with film theory, semiotics, and the social history of art, the psychology of visual representation has contributed to an eclectic body of theory and research on which communications scholars have drawn for conceptualizing approaches to visual communication analysis.

The social history of art offers models for investigating relationships between the production of images and the social contexts of their sponsorship, use, and interpretation. Alpers has explored the relation between picture- making and description. Baxandall’s (1972) study of painting and experience in fifteenth- century Italy provides a historical ethnography of patronage, contractual obligations, and viewer expectations, mapping a social world of visual communication. Becker’s Art Worlds (1982) applies a similar approach to twentieth-century social worlds of artistic production, with specific attention paid to photography.

Related to these extra-textual studies of visual communication practice and meaning is a long history of attention to the intertextual relationships between word and image. Whether in studies of the relationship between religious painting and scripture, pictures and narrative, or in attempts to pursue the study of iconology (the general field of images and their relation to discourse), the existence of pictures within larger multi-textual contexts has led to several rich traditions of scholarship.

Influenced by these parallel developments, social communication theorists in anthropology and sociology took an interest in the social and discursive role of visual images. In the 1960s and 1970s scholars studied the cultural codes and social contexts of image-making within particular communities, sub-cultures, and social groups. This movement was influenced by work in the psychology of art and representation, film theory, symbolic interactionism, semiotics, and the social history of art.

Current and Future Research Topics

The key issues for visual communication in the new millennium are surprisingly similar to those of 30 years ago, although greater attention is being paid to these issues within communications studies itself. A still largely unmet challenge for visual communication scholars is to scan, chart, and interrogate the various levels at which images seem to operate: as evidence in visual rhetoric, as simulated reality bolstering and legitimizing the presence and status of media operations themselves, as abstract symbols and textual indices, or as ‘stylistic excess’ – the self-conscious performance of style. These issues are perhaps more significant than ever for the processes of ‘remediation’ that characterize new digital media and the emphases on ‘transparent immediacy’ and ‘hypermediacy’ that distinguish digital visualization.

There is an issue of particular concern to visual communication researchers as we proceed into an era of increasingly convincing virtual realism on the one hand, and an increasingly systemic textualization of images in cyberspace on the other. It is not just what we can do with new digital technologies of manipulation but to what purposes we seek to use the production of images in a ‘post-photographic age.’

Finally, in that emerging condition often referred to as the ‘global media environment’, visual images have become a new sort of transnational cultural currency. Not the ‘universal language’ that promoters such as Eastman Kodak claimed for photography earlier in the century, but a currency of media control and power, indices of the predominant cultural visions of predominant media industries.

References:

• Alpers, S. (1983). The art of describing: Dutch art in the seventeenth century. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.
• Baxandall, M. (1972). Painting and experience in fifteenth- century Italy. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Becker, H. S. (1982). Art worlds. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.
• Gombrich, E. H. (1972). The visual image. Scientific American, 227(3), 82–96.
• Griffin, M. (ed.) (1992). Visual communication studies in mass media research, Parts I and II. Communication (special double issue), 13(2/3).
• Gross, L. (1981). Introduction. In S. Worth, Studying visual communication. Philadelphia, PA : University of Pennsylvania Press, pp. 1–35.
• Lester, P. (2013). Visual communication: Images with messages, 6th edn. Andover: Cengage Learning.
• Mitchell, W. J. T. (1994). Picture theory. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.
• Worth, S. (1981). Studying visual communication. Philadelphia, PA : University of Pennsylvania Press.

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Learning through mess: Sensemaking visual communication practices in a UK multidisciplinary applied health study

This article addresses the challenges and opportunities associated with the development of new visual communication practices and outputs, using an example of such work conducted in a UK interdisciplinary applied health project. Reflecting on his role as co-researcher and practice as a visual ethnographer in the study, the author argues that new visual communication practices may emerge from ‘mess’ and even ugliness. In the case discussed, the author comes to terms with mess and elements of failure as potential phenomena of learning through a process of Sensemaking (see Weick’s Sensemaking in Organizations , 1995), by applying innovative visual methods to the approach. Through his version of visual Sensemaking, the author identifies a set of principles to inform innovation in collaborative, interdisciplinary visual communication.

Introduction

Visual communication and visual methods in research have grown in popularity in recent decades (see Barnhurst et al., 2004 ). For some, they offer the potential to engage and involve audiences, and others hope that visual communication can bridge communication difficulties, especially when diverse groups of researchers and the public work together ( Goransson and Fagerholm, 2018 ). However, visual processes and artefacts used in such research offer no guarantees of engagement, facilitation of enquiry or truthful representation of data. They can just as easily be confusing, exclusive, meaningless, messy or even ugly, and it is not always clear what makes ‘the visual’ useful or not (see Davison et al., 2012 ). ‘Doing’ visual research is not enough, so methodologists and educators ask that we develop the thinking and process behind methods and techniques. However, we do not often plan what we must learn and, in practice, experience offers the most powerful potential for learning. Learning itself is messy.

I write this reflective article as an educator and researcher with experience of using visual methods to connect, communicate and support collaborative action, utilized here in an interdisciplinary and collaborative health study. I am concerned with visual communication in research because I am a visual ethnographer, that is, someone interested in material enquiry into the way things happen in specific situations. I also write it as someone who had to learn again how to go about visual communication with others and, specifically, how to develop a methodology that could inform future visual interdisciplinary research practice. This article links to the others in this Special Issue through the idea of mess. By mess, I mean the unique status of ‘the visual’ as a form of acting and knowing that is dynamic, ambiguous and polyphonous. In other words, I suggest that visual processes and products do different things for different people. This messy quality, I argue, is both an opportunity for creativity and production of the new, but also can be troublesome if unexamined.

My experience of mess is as a starting point for reflection and action. That the study I discuss here was interdisciplinary was especially significant as it was a new context for my visual practice. The project was a study into the development of multiple long-term health conditions (‘multimorbidity’), which brought together a diverse set of collaborative stakeholders: data scientists, clinical academics, partners in public services and members of the public. I was lead for engagement and impact, and my preference for visual methods in enquiry and visualizing the practice I was part of as a visual ethnographer shaped my contribution. After (collectively) completing the first phase of the study, I began drafting a paper I imagined could be about our ‘successful shared visual language’. Writing prompted me to be explicit about what I was doing with visual communication in the study, but I pressed on without clarity. Having shared an early draft with colleagues, I selectively focused on what I then saw to be their negative feedback:

Why ‘dilemmas’? . . .Again, this sounds verging on the anti-vax . . . I have no idea what it means other than suggesting if I happened to be sat next to the author in the pub I’d move tables . . . I’m completely lost. I don’t know what any of this means but, more to the point, I don’t see why it is relevant . . .This layout is just really confusing . . . No idea what this is . . . I am so lost here that I am only able to scan and not even sure where to start reading anymore – I could be reading Latin.

I saw issues as dilemmas that others may not have seen as such, and saw that the original draft of an article was abstract and did not connect to what my collaborators found productive and useful in working with visual material. This was a troublesome mess because it was unexamined, I reasoned. Anyhow, these responses were my starting point for reflexive insight ( Hibbert, 2021 ) given my new awareness of confusion and frustration: of visual communication that seemed to ‘not be working’. My focus in this article, therefore, is now understanding how visual practices and products, in interdisciplinary contexts, can produce something new and helpful (see Holsanova, 2012 ), and away from being a troublesome mess, with its exclusion, confusion and dead ends. I therefore write in the first person to connect with my experience, with what worked and what did not, and share what I learnt for my practice as a visual researcher. I write the article having developed and used a new approach to making sense of interdisciplinary visual mess. This emerged as I looked for a way to achieve awareness and reflexivity about the work. Whilst I describe how this emerged and show how it works for me, I use these teachable moments in my experience to inform a broader consideration of ‘what works’ in interdisciplinary research utilizing visual communication for readers.

Before that story is told, some other starting points are needed. I set these out below in relation to (a) visual communication in health domains, and (b) the status of ‘the visual’ as a form of knowledge.

Literature Review: Images in Health and Philosophy

On images in health domains.

Today, visual communication is a familiar part of primary health provision, research and education. Members of the public, patients, health researchers, educators and clinicians deal with visual communication that relates to illness and health in their daily lives. This is evident in public health discourse ( Serlin, 2011 ) and in the communication of disease ( Parrott et al., 2007 ; Wadhwa, 2009 ). For instance, many parent-held records include child-growth charts; visual communication is a common part of everyday health informatics and even complex visual phenomena such as images created by Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans are familiar to many ( Haux, 2010 ). In patient leaflets, visual elements join with words to form texts ( Akrich, 1995 ), with multiple meanings or functions ( Cohen and Moliner, 2021 ). Indeed, popular reporting of the global Covid-19 pandemic would ‘be literally unimaginable without . . . visual representations’ ( Gillman, 2017 : xiii).

However, much of this material is underpinned by particular assumptions and worldviews, and is designed to be ‘read’ in particular ways. In discussing visual material in the doctor–patient relationship, Parrott and Kreuter (2011) note the shift from person focus to a focus on the ‘biochemical and pathophysiology of the patient’ as all forms of health communication became dominated by molecular and chemically orientated science as the major paradigm. Within this paradigm, McLaughlin and Clavering (2012) note, visual communication is primarily a tool used by those holding expert status and therefore power. Speaking to established medical paradigms as a context for visual communication, sociologists have urged critical reflection. From their point of view, visual communication is never simply a presentation of facts, even when used in the context of authoritative artefacts such as medical charts. For example, amongst the Visual Analogue Scales (VAS), which are a form of visual psychometric measuring instrument ( Klimek et al., 2017 ), there is one popularly referred to as the Mood Chart, often used as a part of treatment for bipolar disorder ( Miklowitz, 2019 ). Such charts visualize self-reported mood states over time. Martin (2007) asks a specific question about what a mood chart actually measures:

What is the something that goes up and down, or gets a new numerical designation: Moods? Feelings? Energy? Will? Whatever it is, it comes from a private, individual, and interior space. The chart converts specific experiences into obstructions through numeric measurement . . .but it also makes these experiences social along the way. (p. 195)

So, despite being in popular use ( Miklowitz, 2019 ), the work of images in different health domains, as this example indicates, is under-examined. This is not restricted to bipolar disorders; generally, the many lines and charts that illustrate human development in child health records and textbooks show less (or obscure more) than one might expect. For example, Mayer (2009) cites the lack of progress in the visual representations or methods used to show causal linkages and interactions between different variables in human development. As noted, images may be familiar but troublesome.

Elsewhere, in the field of medical humanities and specific fields such as graphic medicine, activity speaks to how research and clinical practice may utilize visual communication differently. Johnstone (2018) proposes that visual medical humanities ‘embraces ambiguity’. Experimental and creative work in the medical humanities expands health discourse, but also informs health practices, as noted in Vaccarella’s (2013 : 70) description of how ‘graphic pathographies (book-length comics about illnesses)’ assist medical students’ observation and interpretative skills. That there is so much to be examined may be partly to do with mixing the languages of different traditions and disciplines. Bucher and Niemann (2012 : 302), for instance, suggest that ‘scientists, usually more experienced with spoken and written language . . . have to learn how to orchestrate a complex multimodal ensemble of different semiotic systems.’ If a key difficulty is the unexamined consideration and use of visual activities and artefacts, then there is literature to inform this.

Beyond health: epistemology of the image

It has been a constant belief of scientists, poets and artists alike that an illustration alongside a text is more than just another representation of the same idea. Not only does a picture say more than a thousand words; compared to text, images show different things differently. (Kline, 2014: 1)

As previous examples illustrate, most images relate firmly to words, usually illustrating or framing them. Visual communication differs from the formal symbolic meanings of written communication and so deserves consideration as another category of communication. Visual communication operates as a distinctive category in many ways, especially through how it communicates the phenomena of ambiguity and affect ( Crowther, 2021 ; Gamboni, 2002 ). It is less reliant on formal symbols and systems of meaning, meaning the rules for ‘reading’ visual communication are less clear, or messier. The implication is that visual communication can be read in multiple ways to mean different things. The more abstract or less familiar it is to the viewer, the greater the potential for ambiguity or polyphony of meaning.

Consideration of what sort of knowledge visual images belong to is an age-old debate. Plato (2007 [375 BCE]) had little time for images, questioning how one could represent anything without knowledge of it, and directed knowledge seekers to philosophical discussion. Aristotle (1996 [335 BCE]), on the other hand, argued that mimesis (representations of life) could lead to emotional catharsis, or release. Today, disciplines such as psychology have not yet developed a ‘coherent opinion’ on the nature of mental images (Kline, 2014: 4), and the role of the image in thinking ‘has yet to be appreciated’ (Schmidt, 2013: 3). So, debates continue about types of knowledge images contain, especially when involving different disciplines. Some focus on what we can know about the art object itself, as singular interpretations. Others acknowledge that images can elicit an emotional response, whereas others go so far as to say that images (art) can provide information about the world (Novitz, 1998). Even these claims are contested – for example, by arguing that insights produced by fiction do not produce the world as it is. Instead of knowledge of the world, an alternative consideration is that images can develop moral knowledge; we gain access to examples of things we might not otherwise experience, or further, they help us gain imaginative access to relevant insights ( John, 2001 ).

Beyond questions of status, literature can speak to the work that images can do. Here too, philosophers provide different explanations. Gadamer (2013[1975]) took art and aesthetic experience as the reference point for considering the nature of experience and truth. Elsewhere, Foucault (2005[1982]) argued that reflection upon art and aesthetic experience is key to action and transformation. From Greek philosophy onwards, the image (or any ‘work’) is a structure created when a practice is transformed: the image becomes a ‘work’ (p. 21). For hermeneutical philosophers, the image as a ‘work’ has interesting qualities. For Heidegger (2010[1953]) , images do work that concepts alone cannot do in that they are both specific examples of things, and things that speak to a general concept. Schmidt (2013: 34) remarks that ‘this doubled, ambiguous nature of the image is at the root of its strangeness.’

One way of considering the work of images is to consider them as interactive experiences. Gadamer (2013[1975] : 22) talks about the ways in which an image discloses something, leading to understanding of a world. This involves something different from the reproduction of reality, but instead of fiction being the opposite of ‘truth’, for Gadamer, it involves a reconstitution of the familiar so that, when viewed in fresh ways, it can be recognized. For Gadamer, this mimesis is not a poor repetition of the world, but is an ‘enlargement’ of it. As an interactive experience, seeing is not a one-way process, but involves feedback from experience and prediction making ( Arnheim, 1968 ). In being seen, the image opens a space of appearance (Schmidt, 2013: 36), or encounter – somewhere work can be done. For hermeneutic philosophers, the image must be read as its own kind of text, but not one measured by scientific standards.

Seen as active, not passive elements, images can be considered to act, or have effect, in different ways. Some of this ‘work’ that visual images can do is generally appreciated. For example, the fact that visual images can operate through metaphor is tacitly recognized. Through metaphor, images can be utilized to transfer meaning from one subject to another (analogy) through juxtaposition, replacement or fusion of images. Hence, one type of ‘work’ that images do is rhetorical – techniques of persuasion that construct a particular meaning. Visual metaphors are arguably a ‘fundamental way of thinking’ ( El Refaie, 2019 ) which relate intimately to our embodied ways of moving and perceiving.

In summary, these examples show that visual communication may do more than reproduce the world or communicate factual content. Some of its potential for both productivity and ‘troublesome mess’ is implied when it is discussed as an interactive event which creates a space of encounter, as metaphor, as opportunity to foreground, or to ‘move’ the viewer in a direct, embodied way. Visual communication has qualities that are open to interpretation and may be experienced in different ways, it can be less precise or fixed than written communication, displaying ambiguity or polyphony ( Macleod and Holdridge, 2006 ). One strand that runs through literature on images and meaning is that images cannot be considered apart from language (Schmidt, 2013: 19). It is inevitable, in life as well as interdisciplinary research, that conscious translations must occur as one moves between word and image, in the knowledge that ‘shifts and alternations’ (p. 68) will occur in such translations. Making use of images in contexts such as health research therefore demands that one finds ways of translating, connecting and relating them to other forms of knowledge so that their ‘messy’ qualities can be utilized to make sense.

Methodology

Contrasting philosophical claims about the status and potential of images with examples of how they are used in health domains seems to suggest a huge gap. On one hand, images in a medical paradigm mostly exist to illustrate or decorate written, logical argument. On the other, images offer an ambitious but abstract ability to refigure and encounter different perspectives on reality. In the interdisciplinary health study, I wanted to make sense of a mess that seemed troublesome, one in which I was not sure ‘what was going on’ with my visual communication. My goal was practical because I needed to ensure that visual communication was supporting our shared enquiry, so a particular focus for my reflexive work was what was productive, or had potential to be productive in that study’s shared visual activity.

One perspective that offers to connect both the specific/practical seen in health and the speculative and creative potential of images discussed in philosophy is the tradition of Sensemaking. Sensemaking is a term coined by Weick (1995) to describe the process of coming to terms with, and acting from, a situation that is somehow confusing, ambiguous or problematic. In Sensemaking, we ‘make sense’ of ourselves, we reflect, we feel, we connect with others, we pay attention to that which we notice, and we find a practical way forward. Weick presented the seven key features of Sensemaking as: (1) grounded in identity construction; (2) retrospective; (3) enactive of sensible environments; (4) social; (5) ongoing; (6) focused on and by extracted cues; and (7) driven by plausibility rather than accuracy (p. ix). Maitlis and Christianson (2014) identify Sensemaking’s early focus as being concerned with logical–rational tasks of constructing and transmitting meaning, phenomena such as explanation ( Starbuck and Millikan, 1988 ) and cognition (Cornelissen et al., 2010). Calls for Sensemaking research to develop have stressed the need to understand the process of Sensemaking and its ‘pre narrative’ activity ( Sandberg and Tsoukas, 2015 ).

I was particularly interested in what I saw as the under-developed potential of the third principle listed by Weick (1995) , that Sensemaking utilized ‘sensible’ environments. This connected to the philosophical texts I had read about the ability of the visual to ‘do’ work, to enable encounters, and to affect via sensory and material processes. This theme is under-explored in semiotic and Sensemaking literature, but I noted starting points for development. For example, literature recognizes that ‘pre-verbal, pre-conscious, pre-conceptual and pre-intentional processes’ are related to conscious and communicative activity ( Salvatore and Freda, 2011 : 121). Visuals can affectively ‘move’ those that interact with them, thus acting as an important precursor for cognitive activity. Elsewhere, collective capacity for mindfulness in Sensemaking (e.g. being aware of details, errors in the making and so on) is enabled by what Barry and Meisiek (2010 : 1505) call ‘analogous artefacts . . . [things that] induce but do not dictate analogical consideration’ and what Carlile (2002) calls ‘boundary objects’ – artefacts that can cross several domains of knowing. Ultimately, the process of visualizing is recognized as a form of valid enquiry in other traditions such as education ( Smith et al., 2015 ). Therefore, I saw an opportunity to utilize the potential images and imaging in my Sensemaking. If traditional ways of interacting with my data left me confused, I reasoned that visual Sensemaking could expand ways in which I interacted with ‘mess’ through these capacities and more. Figure 1 illustrates the process of Sensemaking as I considered it, and my ambitions for visual Sensemaking.

The author’s illustration of the process of Sensemaking, and visual Sensemaking as described in the article.

Context for the original interdisciplinary collaborative study

As noted, the context for my Sensemaking was as a member of a newly established applied health research collaborative and, specifically, an exploratory study into the developmental origins and mechanisms of multiple long-term health conditions (multimorbidity) as they begin in early life. One aspect of my role as lead for ‘engagement and impact’ was to work with diverse non-clinical and scientific stakeholders as we co-created an understanding of what multimorbidity was, could understand it, explain its key mechanisms and possible points of intervention for health and other practitioners. As a visual researcher, I had earlier found that visualizing illness was a potentially contentious matter. For example, in the work I led with parent and carer representatives, supported by a UK children’s charity, we found that visually communicating the development of illness across the life course raised difficult questions (e.g. in the relative emphasis on contextual factors or lifestyle choices in health, or the extent to which a focus on illness development was deterministic and pathological). The practical activities involved in the multimorbidity study included the production of visual consultation materials for parent and patient stakeholder groups, creation of visuals for events and presentations, and development of an interactive ‘causal map’ of multimorbidity. In addition, much of my personal correspondence with fellow researchers utilized visual note-making. In the light of feedback, I had to work out why I now found this to be a ‘mess’, and find what, if anything, was productive in it.

As part of this diverse group, I was required to collaborate at a fast pace during an initial exploratory phase of the study. Members of the study team related well socially, but had different communication styles and disciplinary perspectives. Working with those who were different from me was rewarding, but I took time to remember that our respective appreciations and uses of visual communication were based on different paradigms (see Table 1 ), different systems of knowing about and acting upon the world ( Kuhn, 2012[1962]) . Initially, most of my experiences in using visual communication seemed productive – on a day-to-day basis, I would create sketch-notes in advance, or following meetings, and these visual notes provoked discussion and provided a starting point for shared enquiry ( Figure 3 ). As might be expected, as the study progressed and I worked with others to develop more formal visual representations of multimorbidity, things became more challenging. Towards the end of the study, I was delighted that visual notes provoked new lines of enquiry (for example, when artistic photography of stones and threads could help us talk about the interconnected nature of human development) but I was also disappointed when progress was slow in producing a causal map of multimorbidity, or when my presentation materials seemed little more than decorative. If I was infuriated, as well as enthused, something must have mattered, I reasoned. Practically, I felt already in the middle of this mess, so there was no neat moment when I reviewed the data. My experience of Sensemaking felt removed from any simple description of Weick’s (1995) process being a rational, retrospective identification of cues, assessed against a single frame of reference. Creating images (e.g. Figure 2 ) provided a method which would bring together temporal events, perspectives and artefacts, enabling non-linear and more-than-rational work with my messy data.

The author’s view of example collaborators’ paradigms and implications for activity with visual communication.

An image presenting a range of messy ‘starting points’ for Sensemaking after the study had completed.

A collage of visual notes created and used in dialogue with the author’s collaborators in the study of multimorbidity.

Challenging feedback mentioned earlier led me to review all the data (visual material, notes and correspondence) created in and for the study, to notice cues, those things that stood out as strange, interesting or irritating, that could act as starting points for enquiry ( Weick, 1995 ), including moments that may have been productive. From this point, I focused my Sensemaking on three aspects of the work that seemed to be clear categories: (a) informal visual communication in the form of visual notes; (b) work with parent-volunteers to create consultation materials; and (c) a causal map of multimorbidity. At the same time, I also named some of the theoretical frames of reference as, until I acknowledged them, I found I was unable to make progress just as Weick’s (1995) principles of Sensemaking make clear. As I considered ‘the visual’ as potentially ambiguous, sensory and polyphonous event, following Gadamer (2013[1975]) and others, my philosophical frame of reference encouraged me to consider all the different types of data I had about visual communication in the study, including notes, sketches, emotions, products and correspondence. I needed a basis on which to select this data, and a basis on which to bring it together in a Sensemaking task. Practically, I decided to create a set of images ( Figures 3 , ​ ,4 4 and ​ and5) 5 ) that would allow me to encounter data again. Doing this allowed me to expand Weick’s (1995) insight that Sensemaking was a ‘social’ process between people: refiguring and materializing data in Sensemaking images brought me into a social relationship with images themselves. I discovered that my Sensemaking images had an agency and affective power of their own, with the ability to present themselves ( Marion, 2003 ). As images enabled data to become social, I could attune to ways in which visual elements ‘glowed’ ( Maclure, 2010 , 2013b ) and produced a sense of wonder, as discussed by Maclure (2013b : 228–229):

I think we need more wonder in qualitative research, and especially in our engagements with data, as a counterpart to the exercise of reason through interpretation, classification, and representation . . . Wonder is not necessarily a safe, comforting, or uncomplicatedly positive affect. It shades into curiosity, horror, fascination, disgust, and monstrosity.

An image which reanimates the process of creating a consultation prototype with parent-volunteers.

Visual elements relating to the construction of a ‘causal map’ of multimorbidity in the study.

I imported images from my study archive into a digital illustration software program, based on the criteria of what seemed to generate this sense of wonder. Working with these selected marks, images and clippings of text, and adding to them, constituted the visual sensemaking I was looking for and had previously practiced ( Robson, 2021 ). As elements were montaged in a digital software tool (positioned, cropped, drawn upon and so on), a set of Sensemaking images ( Figures 3 , ​ ,4 4 and ​ and5) 5 ) was created. Once I was able to materialize some of the visual elements, I could direct enquiry about what was productive or had the potential to be productive, using my bodily sensations (i.e. between the image and scanning eye, drawing hand and quickening heartbeat). I saw this as a material, embodied and affective form of Sensemaking ( Weick, 1995 ) and sensory (auto)ethnography ( Pink, 2015 ) which foregrounded key sensations, ideas or concepts. Figure 3 dealt with assorted visual note-making in the study, Figure 4 dealt with work I had done with parent-volunteers to create a prototype consultation booklet and Figure 5 dealt with the development of a causal map of life course health and illness.

Findings and Reflections

In this section, I consider key insights produced from my visual Sensemaking activity, but I first return to the context of the study to consider the issue of ‘audience’. My position, as one who undertook the visual Sensemaking, was as a member of a research collaborative that intentionally connected to a range of stakeholders – the wider early child health research community, the research collaborative members I had undertaken research with, and our consultation partners who were asked to make their own sense of the topic of multimorbidity. Insights that follow therefore are potentially applicable to all of these stakeholder groups, as our ‘research’ was applied in nature, as we developed, refined and tested concepts and findings in practice and service user contexts. At the level of principle, what ‘worked’ in the collaborative speaks to what could work in visual consultation, and indeed in wider efforts to generate and interact with data in the child health research community. Each can take these principles and engage in their own Sensemaking as they apply them to their visual communication.

Making sense of visual notes

In Figure 3 , I created an image that focused on visual notes I made in the study, most often created within a dialogue with others. There are frequent uses of frames and symbols in the image, perhaps because these spoke to how phenomena such as child health data could be structured and questions of what was happening in the development of life course illness. Lines, boxes and visual icons seemingly struggled to contain activity. Once I had composed, drawn and digitally pasted into the image, three annotations (for practical purposes, the ‘results’ of the Sensemaking activity) captured the activity I sensed:

‘ Amplify and extend ideas ’: I saw that visual communication helped me to materialize emerging thoughts, ideas and feelings from correspondence or interactions with colleagues. I would often seize on a common idea, image or analogy and take the opportunity to extend this: (a) by making it more concrete and explicit, and (b) by imagining how it might be used in presenting further ideas. ‘ Force a third language ’: In the original activity, and this new Sensemaking activity, I used visual communication to create a parallel ‘what if’ conversation. This had the effect of disturbing existing lines of argument and provoking us to contribute to a new event of making sense, instead of repeating existing positions. ‘ Image as lens ’: Once used in interactions, elements in visual notes supported play and experimentation. A suggested function could be applied to an example, or a question could be posed, such as ‘in what way do those things work together?’.

Making sense of a consultation prototype

Figure 4 derived from a process where I worked with a parent-volunteer subgroup to co-design a prototype booklet for prospective consultation audiences on this unfamiliar idea of multimorbidity. Multiple pages depict the constant revisions made in cycles of making, sharing, discussing and re-making. Clutter and excess detail imply the challenges faced in connecting issues and questions. Images float on photographs of folded paper and imagined encounters between consultees and the booklet. In the image, folding became a metaphor for contributions, and the necessary discomfort of willingly bringing contributions to see them change, or get lost, in collective work. Again, I noted three activities that had held my attention as I made the new composite image:

‘ Create a surface for action ’: elements of visual communication became a surface for connecting separate observations, insights and questions (e.g. ‘what if this came next?’; or ‘would it be better if . . .?’). We could work on what we could see, each ‘reading’ the image to see how or if it worked. Activity did not produce a workable prototype, but the image supported critical review and suggestions. ‘ Fold contributions ’: when the group interacted with sketches and versions of prototype pages, productive work seemed to be driven by moments of enthusiasm or displeasure. The folding of contributions always produced a new variation of the layouts which was energized by the reception of, and work with, each version of the prototype. ‘ Mobilize and act with ’: the image was not enough. I remembered how we printed a final draft for testing with the groups’ family, friends and neighbours. Materializing the designs created artefacts and transformed parent-volunteers into presenters. Changing the format and interaction with the prototype transformed the work it could do.

Making sense of an interactive map of life course health and illness

One of the most challenging processes was the development of a ‘causal map’, which showed how multimorbidity developed in early life and onwards, informed by a detailed literature search for evidence on early life determinants of later life multimorbidity. My attempts to visualize the results confirmed the views of the team who had completed the literature search that creating a ‘causal map’ would be problematic. This was largely because the studies found were very different from one another with few elements to link them . . . what was described did not speak to linkages between elements, or cumulative effects. Visual Sensemaking helped me remember cycles of frustration, which involved asking ‘what do you want me to visualize again?’ When I showed the parent-volunteer group simple sketches abstracting the data, they just found them confusing, not in terms of scientific assessment, but because they did not know how to read or use them. Their analysis of very early versions of the map immediately threw up pained faces over video calls, with questions like ‘what is this for?’, ‘it’s a depressing story’, ‘so it’s all my fault?’, ‘what difference does it make?’ and so on. Visualizing foregrounded questions – were we creating a fatalistic tale of individual moral failures, as if illness was just about ‘laziness’, or ‘gluttony’? In such a map, where was the agency to challenge and change structural inequalities linked to the development of illness?

Whilst wondering if more data would come, I dealt with our frustration by sketching flows (see middle left-hand side, Figure 5 ) to materialize imagined movement of health and illness across the life course. This threw up more questions: ‘what is it that flows?’ and (in respect to the ethical discomfort) ‘what’s currently in the background that needs visualizing?’ Using the visuals helped me imagine the ‘line’ of life course health as dynamic movement (see top-right corner and bottom-left corner, Figure 5 ), speculating, for example, whether a health trajectory would be curved as it passed through what I labelled ‘contexts/influences’ such as relative poverty.

Moving and composing in the image ( Figure 5 ) distilled the following Sensemaking statements:

‘ Imagine articulations ’: Visual elements materialize a model to test: what leads to what? What relations are we talking about? Do we talk about flows? Where do we pan and zoom? ‘ Reframe ’: Experimentation involves asking (and testing) ‘what else can this be?’, taking the topic and pushing back against the representation of multimorbidity as single left to right line which seems to individualize illness. Things (bubbles, lines, other points) float beneath the line, challenging the representation of developing multimorbidity as the sole result of ‘poor’ individual choices. ‘ Translate ’: as ideas and dialogue are materialized as visual communication, tacit assumptions and potentials appear. Authors can ask ‘is that how you see it?’ When drawn as a sketch, ideas can be annotated and added to. When the thinking is seen, it becomes possible to interrogate the images, with questions like ‘but what is being collected as the heart icon moves down the line?’

Mess is necessary in interdisciplinary, collaborative and developmental work, such as the example in this article. To resist mess is to resist enquiry, learning and innovation, but we are encouraged instead to foreground the perfect, the impressive and convincing. Mess can be suppressed but, in doing so, we remove a huge resource for learning. Many artists and educators embrace mess in visual communication, describing visual thinking as an emerging process ( Sousanis, 2017 ). In my experience described here, I have argued that one of the resources for addressing mess and for learning from what is and what is not ‘working’ comes from the Sensemaking tradition ( Weick, 1995 ). Sensemaking starts with the problem as event, discomfort or question and forces the practice of social questioning, seeking for cues, utilizing frames of reference and considering what a feasible solution could look like. However, it is not ideally adapted or applied to visual communication and its processes. The cognitive orientation that has historically been part of Sensemaking ( Maitlis and Christianson, 2014 ) has privileged certain sorts of activity, including rational review and narrative articulation of meaning at the expense of meaning-making itself. In seeking to undertake Sensemaking of visual practices and artefacts, my experience was that I needed to be able to correspond with the visual, enabling translations across images and words, so that I could better surface issues with others, so improving interdisciplinary collaborative research.

My creation of collage-like Sensemaking images is an example of a Sensemaking better equipped to correspond with the visual, a method which supported dialogues between images, the senses and emotions and rational dialogue. This visual Sensemaking method is one that visual practitioners could adapt and develop new approaches suited to their task. The method ‘worked’ in this case because it extended Weick’s (1995) appreciation that Sensemaking was also sensory, embodied and emotional (i.e. ‘enactive of sensible environments’), and utilized the unique epistemological properties of the visual – which include its ambiguity, affective capacity and polyphonous nature.

Sensemaking is consideration of things together – but I have shown that, in this collaborative research, visual Sensemaking must literally bring things together in the frame. Materializing diverse elements in a series of images enables visual Sensemaking work to be done, sifting what is troublesome and productive about mess. In visual Sensemaking, our aesthetic and sensory faculties are utilized to greater effect. As we compose images, we read for patterns, test relations between elements, and more. Visualizing the process of Sensemaking materializes the process, and enables social aspects of the practice. This has implications for visual practitioners seeking to work in reflexive, interdisciplinary and collaborative ways. Firstly, following Gadamer (2913[1975]) to see visual Sensemaking as event(s) in the process of relational dialogue, with different parties being aware of, and choosing to be part of that event. In other words, visual Sensemaking is not ‘automatic’ and the inclusion of ‘the visual’ offers no guarantees of additional insight or benefit. Secondly, that those who would be part of the dialogue of visual Sensemaking can learn to attend to the sensory, embodied and affective aspects visual communication can present, as I did. In doing this, the benefits of using visual processes and artefacts are realized – we learn to have different conversations, and appreciate different aspects of phenomena. Thirdly, practitioners must be committed to the reflexive ( Hibbert, 2021 ) demands of visual Sensemaking: to appreciate when visuals resonate or clash with other ways of knowing, and why that might be. Visual Sensemaking therefore demands that we learn to ‘hold the mess’ and see perspective change as a useful tool. Finally, the sort of ‘work’ involved in sifting productive from troublesome mess must be recognized. As I found, practitioners should be ready to ‘put in the (cognitive, emotional) work’ to translate across boundaries between text and image, and disciplines. Without the appreciation of visual Sensemaking as both an art and science, I suggest it will be difficult to learn to work with mess and to enable productive dialogue in a visual world.

Acknowledgments

Thanks to my patient co-collaborators in the study of multimorbidity, funded by the UK’s Medical Research Council, who have generously allowed me to share my personal experiences of work with them, and to Dr Niina Kolehmainen who, as Principal Investigator of the study, trusted me enough to create a productive mess.

Biographical Note

IAN ROBSON is an educator and researcher who develops and uses visual methods to support the engagement and participation of students in Higher Education as well as those working in, and using, Health, Education and Social Care Services. He works with local authorities, NHS trusts and Voluntary Sector organizations on projects concerning under 2’s, how families experience using health and social care services, and on how people from different disciplines can carry out research together.

Address : Department of Social Work, Education and Community Wellbeing, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Northumbria University, Coach Lane Campus, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE24 2DS, UK. [email: [email protected] ]

Funding: The author received no financial support for the research, authorship and publication of this article, and there is no conflict of interest.

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Visual Communication Theory and Research

A Mass Communication Perspective

• Shahira Fahmy ,
• Mary Angela Bock ,
• Wayne Wanta

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Table of contents (10 chapters)

Front matter, linking theory to visual communication.

• Shahira Fahmy, Mary Angela Bock, Wayne Wanta

Who: Research on the Sources of Visual Communication

Says what: research on the content in visual communication, to whom: research on the audiences in visual communication, in which channel: research on media used in visual communication, with what effect i: research on cognitive effects of visual communication, with what effect ii: research on attitudinal effects of visual communication, with what effect iii: research on behavioral effects of visual communication, back matter.

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"Visual communication research is influenced by so many disciplines - psychology, sociology, cognitive science, history and others - that it has been challenging for students to get a broad, comprehensive overview. Visual Communication Theory and Research provides easy access to the topic by categorization according to one of the communication field's most durable models. While each chapter describes dozens of studies to illustrate distinctive theoretical or conceptual threads, commentary at the start and end of the book bind the chapters into a broader narrative that authenticates the central thesis of the book - that visual communication research has come of age and that its focus is of increasing importance in a technological society." - James D. Kelly, Associate Professor and Director of the Honors Program, Indiana University School of Journalism, Indiana University, USA

"There is no one book, no one work that provides the breadth and depth of understanding the realities and underpinnings of visual media as Fahmy, Bock, and Wanta do here. They are the best people to provide a foundation for understanding visual media for graduate and undergraduate students . . . and the general public." - Jack Zibluk, Professor and Chair of Mass Media, Southeast Missouri State University, USA

"For more than three decades there have been calls to give greater attention to visual communication in mass communication research. The responses to those calls have come from many directions and often have been disconnected and fragmentary. This is not surprising given the trans-disciplinary origins and nature of visual communication and visual culture studies. Visual Communication Theory and Research successfully explores and maps much of the burgeoning visual communication work evident in mass communication and photojournalism studies: identifying key theoretical sources for thinking about photography and visual imagery in mass media and news, outlining predominant levels of analysis in historical and media effects research, and noting persistent methodological challenges for incorporating the study of visuals in analyses of media content, audiences, and reception. This is a valuable survey for students, graduate or undergraduate, who wish to pursue research in visual journalism or visual communication studies. It is also a valuable introduction for anyone wishing to learn more about the evolving place of visual communication studies in mass communication research." - Michael Griffin, Media and Cultural Studies, Macalester College, USA,

Past Chair, Visual Communication Studies Division, International Communication Association

"This book is broad in its scope and is a useful resource for advanced undergraduate students, graduate students, and visual communication researchers who are looking for a neatly packaged and concise review of the literature on contemporary visual communication scholarship. A primer on visual communication scholarship is a tremendous challenge; images are inherently open to interpretation, and as the authors note, many effects studies produce a mixed bag of results. This of course underscores the importance of research that will shape a distinctive theoretical structure for the visual studies." - Electronic News

Book Title : Visual Communication Theory and Research

Book Subtitle : A Mass Communication Perspective

Authors : Shahira Fahmy, Mary Angela Bock, Wayne Wanta

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137362155

Publisher : Palgrave Macmillan New York

eBook Packages : Palgrave Media & Culture Collection , Literature, Cultural and Media Studies (R0)

Copyright Information : Shahira Fahmy, Mary Angela Bock, and Wayne Wanta 2014

Hardcover ISBN : 978-1-137-36214-8 Published: 01 May 2014

Softcover ISBN : 978-1-349-47256-7 Published: 01 May 2014

eBook ISBN : 978-1-137-36215-5 Published: 01 May 2014

Edition Number : 1

Number of Pages : XII, 190

Number of Illustrations : 10 b/w illustrations

Topics : Media Studies , Media and Communication , Regional and Cultural Studies , Social Sciences, general , Cultural Studies

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Visual communication quarterly, visual communication quarterly special issue call for papers:  , the state of visual evidence  .

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March 5, 2024

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March 15, 2024  

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May 1, 2024  

“Pictures provide a point around which other pieces of evidence collect.” — American Film Director Errol Morris  

Morris’s sentiment emphasizes the role of images—especially photographs and videos—to help galvanize evidentiary claims and to help create the foundations from which societies can construct notions of truth or fact. Although this role is socially constituted rather than being an inherent quality of the medium (Tagg, 1988), it has been instrumental in both emancipatory and oppressive projects since its inception. Yet, with the surge in visual misinformation, disinformation, and evolving artificial intelligence (AI), the epistemic role of still and moving images to convey truth has reached a crucible. This prompts a critical inquiry: What theoretical and interpretive frameworks, technologies, and practices can identify, categorize, and preserve images’ evidentiary value? To delve deeper, what precisely is worth preserving?   

Thus far, the literature on visual misinformation, disinformation, and AI-generated visuals has primarily explored the social impact of deceptive or augmented visuals. This includes individuals’ ability to detect deception (meleers et al., 2023; Köbis et al., 2021; Korshunov & Marcel, 2021; Shahid et al., 2022), public perceptions of deepfakes and their engagement (Ahmed, 2023; Ahmed et al., 2023; Ahmed & Chua, 2023), their impact on news credibility (Jin et al., 2023; Shin & Lee, 2022; Vaccari & Chadwick, 2020), detection methods (Sohrawardi et al., 2020), and the construction of deepfakes through meta-journalistic discourse (Gosse & Burkell, 2020; Yadlin-Segal & Oppenheim, 2021).

One component this literature lacks, however, is theoretical and interpretive frameworks that can redefine and reorient the epistemological role of image-based news in a networked society. To fill this gap, we invite contributors to critically evaluate the challenges, opportunities, and dynamics surrounding visual representations influenced by misinformation, disinformation, and/or evolving AI technology. The special issue welcomes empirical studies utilizing diverse approaches—qualitative, quantitative, computational, and mixed-methods—and theoretical contributions assessing the contemporary state of visual evidence.  It considers topics such as:

• Spectacle, simulation, and the social construction of truth in visual media
• The role of embodied witnessing and authorship in credibility
• Visual mis/disinformation intervention strategies (technological/social)
• Political economy of synthetic visual media
• Journalism’s role in addressing visual misinformation, disinformation, and AI-generated visuals
• Ethics in evaluating and reporting visual misinformation, disinformation, and AI-generated visuals
• Theoretical and interpretive frameworks in examining visual misinformation, disinformation, and AI-generated visuals

We also invite portfolio submissions that have used generative visual AI technology in any capacity for storytelling purposes. Portfolios should be submitted to foster discussions on the utility of synthetic visual media and associated ethical, ontological, and epistemological implications. Submissions may encompass endeavors to visualize abstract social processes, reimagine past events, or explore speculative futures.    

Information about Submissions  

Abstracts of no more than 1,000 words (not including references) should be submitted to  [email protected] in a PDF document by March 5, 2024. Please use the special issue title (“ The State of Visual Evidence” in the subject line of the email and in the body include a brief biography that includes your previous and current research and how it relates to the special issue theme. Accepted abstracts are expected to have a completed draft (of no more than 8,000 words inclusive of references) by May 1, 2024. 

Portfolio submissions should include 7 to 11 color or black and white images, a 150-1,000-word artist statement, and a biography of 50 or fewer words. Please compress these files into a single .zip folder and submit this to  [email protected] by March 5, 2024. See the journal’s instructions to authors for complete details.

Special Issue Editors      

Dr. Alex Scott ( [email protected] ) is an assistant professor at the University of Iowa School of Journalism and Mass Communication specializing in the qualitative examinations of non-fiction practices of photography. His research is informed by his experiences as a photojournalist and focuses on the construction of social differences and the production of visual knowledge.   

Dr. Sang Jung Kim ( [email protected] ) is an assistant professor at the University of Iowa School of Journalism and Mass Communication specializing in the computational examination of visual content. Her research focuses on how multi-modality (visual, text, audio, video) exacerbates the devastating consequences of mis- and disinformation.   

Dr. Bingbing Zhang ( [email protected] ) is an assistant professor at the University of Iowa School of Journalism and Mass Communication specializing in studying the effects of visual content on audiences’ perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors. Her research also investigates the impact of algorithms and AI-related technology on these message effects.   

The special issue editors are affiliated with the  Visual Media Lab , which aims to examine the (1) attributes, (2) prevalence, and (3) impact of visuals in journalism and social media in the digital age. Additionally, they are organizers of the symposium ‘State of Visual Evidence,’ addressing the challenges and opportunities that synthetic media pose for the contemporary media environment, which is highly relevant to the VCQ special issue.   

State of Visual Evidence Symposium  

This special issue corresponds with The State of Visual Evidence virtual symposium, which will be held on April 8, 2024. The symposium features keynote talks by Dr. T.J. Thomson, senior lecturer at RMIT University, Dr. Cindy Shen, Professor at the University of California-Davis and Dr. Bryce Dietrich, Associate Professor at Purdue University. Attendance to the symposium is encouraged regardless of intent to submit abstracts to this special issue.  

Ahmed, S. (2023). Examining public perception and cognitive biases in the presumed influence of deepfakes threat: empirical evidence of third person perception from three studies. Asian Journal of Communication , 33 (3), 308–331. https://doi.org/10.1080/01292986.2023.2194886

Ahmed, S., & Chua, H. W. (2023). Perception and deception: Exploring individual responses to deepfakes across different modalities. Heliyon , 9 (10), e20383. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e20383

Ahmed, S., Ng, S. W. T., & Bee, A. W. T. (2023). Understanding the role of fear of missing out and deficient self-regulation in sharing of deepfakes on social media: Evidence from eight countries. Frontiers in Psychology , 14 (March), 1–7. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1127507

Gosse, C., & Burkell, J. (2020). Politics and porn: how news media characterizes problems presented by deepfakes. Critical Studies in Media Communication , 37 (5), 497–511. https://doi.org/10.1080/15295036.2020.1832697

Hameleers, M., van der Meer, T. G. L. A., & Dobber, T. (2023). They Would Never Say Anything Like This! Reasons To Doubt Political Deepfakes. European Journal of Communication , 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1177/02673231231184703

Jin, X., Zhang, Z., Gao, B., Gao, S., Zhou, W., Yu, N., & Wang, G. (2023). Assessing the perceived credibility of deepfakes: The impact of system-generated cues and video characteristics. New Media and Society . https://doi.org/10.1177/14614448231199664

Köbis, N. C., Doležalová, B., & Soraperra, I. (2021). Fooled twice: People cannot detect deepfakes but think they can. IScience , 24 (11). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2021.103364

Korshunov, P., & Marcel, S. (2021). Subjective and objective evaluation of deepfake videos. ICASSP, IEEE International Conference on Acoustics, Speech and Signal Processing - Proceedings , 2021 - June , 2510–2514. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICASSP39728.2021.9414258

Shahid, F., Kamath, S., Sidotam, A., Jiang, V., Batino, A., & Vashistha, A. (2022). “It Matches My Worldview”: Examining Perceptions and Attitudes Around Fake Videos. Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems - Proceedings . https://doi.org/10.1145/3491102.3517646

Shin, S. Y., & Lee, J. (2022). The Effect of Deepfake Video on News Credibility and Corrective Influence of Cost-Based Knowledge about Deepfakes. Digital Journalism , 10 (3), 412–432. https://doi.org/10.1080/21670811.2022.2026797

Sohrawardi, S. J., Hickerson, A., & Wright, M. (2020). DeFaking Deepfakes: Understanding Journalists’ Needs for Deepfake Detection. USENIX Symposium on Usable Privacy and Security (SOUPS) , 1–5. https://www.usenix.org/system/files/soups2020_poster_sohrawardi.pdf

Tagg, J. (1988). The Burden of Representation: Essays on Photographies and Histories. Basingstoke, UK: Macmillan Education.

Vaccari, C., & Chadwick, A. (2020). Deepfakes and Disinformation: Exploring the Impact of Synthetic Political Video on Deception, Uncertainty, and Trust in News. Social Media and Society , 6 (1). https://doi.org/10.1177/2056305120903408

Yadlin-Segal, A., & Oppenheim, Y. (2021). Whose dystopia is it anyway? Deepfakes and social media regulation. Convergence , 27 (1), 36–51. https://doi.org/10.1177/1354856520923963

NOTICE: The University of Iowa Center for Advancement is an operational name for the State University of Iowa Foundation, an independent, Iowa nonprofit corporation organized as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, publicly supported charitable entity working to advance the University of Iowa. Please review its full disclosure statement.

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Research Topics & Ideas: Communication

50 Topic Ideas To Kickstart Your Research

If you’re just starting out exploring communication-related topics for your dissertation, thesis or research project, you’ve come to the right place. In this post, we’ll help kickstart your research by providing a hearty list of research topics and ideas related to communication and comms strategy, including examples from recent studies.

PS – This is just the start…

We know it’s exciting to run through a list of research topics, but please keep in mind that this list is just a starting point . These topic ideas provided here are intentionally broad and generic , so keep in mind that you will need to develop them further. Nevertheless, they should inspire some ideas for your project.

To develop a suitable research topic, you’ll need to identify a clear and convincing research gap , and a viable plan to fill that gap. If this sounds foreign to you, check out our free research topic webinar that explores how to find and refine a high-quality research topic, from scratch. Alternatively, consider our 1-on-1 coaching service .

Communication-Related Research Topics

• Analyzing the effectiveness of crisis communication strategies in the airline industry post-accidents.
• The role of social media in shaping corporate brand identity in the fashion industry.
• Investigating the impact of internal communication on employee engagement in remote work environments.
• The effectiveness of influencer marketing in health and wellness brands.
• Analyzing the impact of virtual reality in enhancing audience engagement in museums and galleries.
• The role of communication in change management within large healthcare organizations.
• Investigating the use of digital storytelling in non-profit fundraising campaigns.
• The impact of corporate social responsibility communication on consumer perceptions in the fast-food industry.
• Analyzing the effectiveness of environmental communication strategies in promoting sustainable practices among businesses.
• The role of intercultural communication in the success of international mergers and acquisitions.
• Investigating the impact of communication style on leadership effectiveness in tech startups.
• The effectiveness of targeted advertising in political campaigns.
• Analyzing the role of public relations in managing celebrity image crises.
• The impact of mobile communication technologies on marketing strategies in retail.
• Investigating the use of employee advocacy on social media as a branding tool.
• The role of communication in enhancing customer service experiences in the hospitality industry.
• Analyzing the impact of user-generated content on brand loyalty in the automotive industry.
• The effectiveness of communication strategies in addressing gender diversity in the workplace.
• Investigating the role of strategic communication in corporate restructuring processes.
• The impact of language barriers on global marketing and advertising strategies.
• Analyzing the effectiveness of communication platforms in remote team collaboration.
• The role of multimedia content in enhancing online engagement for educational institutions.
• Investigating the impact of communication strategies on patient adherence in healthcare.
• The effectiveness of internal crisis communication in financial institutions during economic downturns.
• Analyzing the role of corporate storytelling in enhancing brand identity.

Communication Research Ideas (Continued)

• The impact of social media algorithms on news dissemination and public opinion.
• Investigating the role of communication in customer retention strategies in the telecom industry.
• The effectiveness of green marketing communication in promoting eco-friendly products.
• Analyzing the impact of augmented reality in interactive marketing campaigns.
• The role of communication in managing stakeholder relationships in construction projects.
• Investigating the impact of cultural differences on international public relations practices.
• The effectiveness of video marketing in consumer engagement on social media platforms.
• Analyzing the role of communication in employee wellness programs.
• The impact of digital communication tools on enhancing B2B sales strategies.
• Investigating the effectiveness of podcasting as a marketing tool for small businesses.
• The role of communication in facilitating organizational change in public sector organizations.
• Analyzing the impact of artificial intelligence on personalized customer communication.
• The effectiveness of integrated marketing communications in luxury brand management.
• Investigating the use of virtual events for community building in online gaming.
• The role of strategic communication in environmental advocacy.
• Analyzing the impact of communication technologies on remote learning and education.
• The effectiveness of grassroots communication campaigns in social movements.
• Investigating the role of communication in project management success in the IT industry.
• The impact of communication style on negotiation outcomes in international trade.
• Analyzing the effectiveness of brand messaging in sustainable fashion.
• The role of visual communication in enhancing brand presence on social media.
• Investigating the impact of public speaking skills on leadership effectiveness.
• The effectiveness of communication strategies in health promotion and disease prevention.
• Analyzing the role of communication in the adoption of new technologies in traditional industries.
• The impact of cross-cultural communication on global marketing and branding strategies.

Recent Communication-Related Studies

While the ideas we’ve presented above are a decent starting point for finding a  research topic, they are fairly generic and non-specific. So, it helps to look at actual studies in the communication space to see how this all comes together in practice.

Below, we’ve included a selection of recent studies to help refine your thinking. These are actual studies,  so they can provide some useful insight as to what a research topic looks like in practice.

• Studying Linguistic Means of Expression of PR Campaigns Aimed at Combating the Pandemic in the Digital Age: A Multimodal Approach (Minyar-Belorucheva & Sergienko, 2022)
• Educating communication sciences and disorders students to use evidence-based practice literature: A collaboration between a library liaison and a CSD professor (Day & Flynn, 2022)
• The Teaching and Learning of Communication Skills in Social Work Education (Reith-Hall & Montgomery, 2022)
• Communication skills training for improving the communicative abilities of student social workers (Reith-Hall & Montgomery, 2023)
• The Case for Addressing Emotional Resilience in Graduate Student Training (Malandraki, 2022)
• Role of Communication Skills: A Review (Saxena et al., 2022)
• Future Challenges of Post-third Wave Communication Studies Covid-19 Pandemic: Media Practitioner Perspective (Santoso, 2022)
• Effective communication management in a public health crisis: lessons learned about COVID-19 pandemic through the lens of health communication executives (Voges et al., 2023)
• Transdisciplinary engaged learning (Griffith, 2023) The mediating effect of mindfulness and self-compassion on leaders’ communication competence and job satisfaction (Salazar, 2022)
• Communication Skills across Engineering Curriculum: A Case Study (Kakepoto et al., 2022)
• Communication Skills among University Students (Ansari et al., 2022).
• The Management of Communication Skills Development in Literature High Secondary Education from the Student’s Point of View (Hung et al., 2022).
• A study about recognition of middle school and high school students on teacher’s communication skills (Chang et al., 2022)
• Communication pedagogy in public affairs programs: Insights from a study of MPA and MPP curricula (Manoharan & Rangarajan, 2022)
• Health communication needs for COVID-19 prevention and control among college students (Zhang et al., 2023)
• The strategic value of “chaos” in the South African context for the training of communication students (De Wet, 2022)
• Underrepresentation of Students From Diverse Backgrounds Entering Communication Sciences and Disorders Programs: An Investigation Into the University Student Perspective (Richburg, 2022)
• Communicating Science, Technology, and Environmental Issues: A Case Study of an Intercultural Learning Experience (van Kempen et al., 2022)

As you can see, these research topics are a lot more focused than the generic topic ideas we presented earlier. So, for you to develop a high-quality research topic, you’ll need to get specific and laser-focused on a specific context with specific variables of interest.  In the video below, we explore some other important things you’ll need to consider when crafting your research topic.

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If you’re still unsure about how to find a quality research topic, check out our Research Topic Kickstarter service, which is the perfect starting point for developing a unique, well-justified research topic.

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178 Communication Research Topics For Your Paper

Imagine what the world would be without communication! How would we get along? I guess there would be no sense in existing after all. That is just a tiny snippet of how important communication is in everyday life. Exchanging information is a key component of coexistence as it creates order and a sense of satisfaction in the end. However, communication as a discipline cuts across all other niches in the academic world. Students from an Engineering course would also take up communication as a unit of study. Students delve into the transmission, representation, reception, and decoding of information communicated to a greater extent.

Situations When You May Need To Write A Communication Paper

Various scenarios call for a communication paper either as an assignment or a research project in college. The communication papers needed for every situation vary in format and outline. Here are some of the cases when communication papers are necessary:

When writing a resume or cover letter In presentations and reports Internal or external communication in a company Writing a thesis statement

When writing communication papers in these different scenarios, students can develop the following aspects:

Understand the various communication phenomena Ability to direct communication messages towards accomplishing individual and organizational goals Understand various types of communication such as rhetoric, interpersonal or organizational

Such an assignment is peculiar because it deals with students’ communication processes. Therefore, the student can easily relate a communication assignment to the real-world environment. You will have to conduct extensive digging before writing your paper like any other research project. In writing a communication research paper, you will benefit from the importance of communication in general, such as building better relationships and finding the right solutions to various problems. It takes a lot of time to create a high-quality writing, so you have all the right to ask dissertation writers for hire to help.

Guidelines On Structure And Step By Step Tips On Writing

To have an award-winning communication paper, you need to understand that structure is always at the heart of it all. A great communication paper follows the structure below:

Solid intro : Begin by presenting a captivating introduction by highlighting the facts, questions, or problems that you will explore in the body. The reader should find more than a million reasons to proceed with your essay by reading the first two lines. A strong thesis statement is also necessary for the introduction. An insightful literature review : It shows the theoretical basis of your research project, thus giving it validity. An in-depth literature review will give room for exploration and further research. Main body : This is where we expect to find all your findings, methodological steps, concepts, analyses, and the outcome. Discussion and conclusion : Depending on your professor’s instructions, you can divide this into two parts or put it as one. In either case, this section will consist of the strengths and weaknesses of your research and any future development or improvements. You could also compare the results found in your research with what other authors have discovered.

Provided you have all your facts at hand, a communication research paper will be the easiest you will ever handle in college. Nonetheless, you can order a custom paper from various online writing experts. If you want to make an impression with your communication research paper, here are some tips to consider:

Select a thought-provoking and captivating research topic Have a working outline with all the arguments and examples/evidence in place Ensure that you exhaust reading all the possible research materials on your topic Such papers are always in the first person except in unique cases

You can review some of the samples on our essay writer to familiarize yourself with the structure and outline of a communication research paper. Let’s now explore 178 of the hottest communication research topics to ace your project:

Top Interpersonal Communication Research Topics

• Evaluate the different relational patterns of interaction theory
• How to achieve coordinated management of meaning
• Discuss the fundamentals of pedagogical communication
• How does technology relate to interpersonal communication?
• Key constructs of openness and closeness
• Establishing identities in the identity management theory
• Evaluate the contribution of interpersonal communication scholars
• How mental representations influence how people interpret information
• Conceptualizing the process of social interaction
• Discuss the various behavioral interaction patterns among siblings
• Why do individuals modify their communicative behavior?
• Describe why new environments present a challenge for most people to communicate effectively
• The role of eye contact and gestures in interpersonal communication
• Varying effects of nonverbal and verbal acts of interpersonal communication
• Effects of different cultures on interpersonal communication strategies

World-Class Communication Research Topics For College Students

• Understanding the historical research methods in communication
• Discuss the relationship between technology, media, and culture
• Evaluate the various revolutions in human communication
• Discuss the developments made in the invention of human speech and language
• The role of image-making, cinema, and media entertainment in communication
• How to overcome communication barriers among students
• Steps in encouraging participation in meetings
• How employees contribute to the information flow in organizations
• How to evaluate a report based on its findings
• Sources of error during nonverbal communication
• How the media can match the channels of communication to their audience
• Ensuring audience attention during a presentation
• The impact of graphics in communication strategies
• How to interpret non-verbal signals
• Developing communication methods that match a given purpose

Possible Topics For Communication Research

• How to develop realistic communication strategies
• Discuss the economics of finance in communication processes
• How exposure to radio and TV impacts communication
• How to manage controversial issues in communication
• Why speaking with confidence is still difficult for many people
• The effectiveness of communicating with words and body language
• Why defining your purpose is key in any communication process
• Why explanatory communication is more difficult than informative communication
• The place of communication in long-distance relationships
• Communication strategies that influence people
• How to use communication effectively for conflict resolution
• Developing your self-esteem for effective communication
• Effects of redundancy in communication processes
• The place of responsibility in developing communication messages
• How to acquire effective communication skills in college

Latest Communication Topic For Research

• The role of persuasive dialogue in negotiations
• Why everyone must learn proper expression strategies
• Effects of emoji and other characters in enhancing textual conversations
• The role of propaganda in shaping communication tones
• Evaluate the unique political language used in America versus Africa
• The continuing impact of the internet on interpersonal communication
• How images are enhancing communication
• Discuss the effects of gender victimization on communication
• Evaluate the development of modern digital communication
• How to effectively communicate during a war or crisis
• How hacking is transforming communication of encrypted messages
• Effects of stereotyping in developing communication messages
• Is virtual reality ruining effective communication?
• Evaluate language as a barrier in communicating messages
• The role of empathy in communicating to victims of a disaster

Top-Notch Communication Research Paper Topics

• The role of diplomacy in fostering better relations among countries
• Why aided communication may not achieve the intended purpose
• Effects of using a translator in the communication of critical messages
• Evaluate the development of audio-visual devices for communication
• The dangers of failing to notice barriers to communication
• How stigma and prejudice impact effective communication
• Discuss the impact of having a common language in a country
• How social classes affect communication messages
• Factors that hinder communication between fighting political sides
• How to develop strong communication skills in a marketplace
• Why opinions may prevent one from seeing the true picture
• Discuss the role of fantasy and exaggeration in communication
• Differences between oral and verbal messages in conveying information
• The role of attitude and mood in enhancing effective message delivery
• How the media sets the communication pattern of a given society

Highly Rated Mass Communication Research Topics

• Discuss the essence of social media among PR practitioners
• The role of mass media in rebranding a nation
• Challenges to media freedom and their impact on proper communication
• Discuss the effects of news commercialization and their credibility
• How TV advertisements impact children and their development
• Compare and contrast between animation and real-people adverts in mass media
• How the internet affects professionalization in news media
• How mass media messages contribute to the development of religion in Africa
• Evaluate the radio listenership patterns between men and women
• How does mass media contribute to an emerging democracy
• Discuss how the media enlightens the public on issues of concern
• The role of mass media in communicating development messages
• Why mass media is critical before, during, and after elections
• Assess the influence of community radio in remote areas
• How mass media contributes to national integration

Good Communication Research Topics

• What determines consumer preference patterns in the 21 st century?
• Effective communication strategies for creating awareness against drug abuse
• Prospects and challenges of local dialects in communication
• Evaluate the influence of television on public opinion
• Discuss the growing cyberactivism in the digital age
• How social media is contributing to misleading information
• Challenges facing teachers when communicating to pre-school students
• Discuss the impact of information overload on the credibility of information
• Evaluate communication patterns among the youth in the US
• Assess the effects of the Russia-Ukraine conflict on communication patterns
• How public perception influences communication strategies
• Explain how mothers learn to communicate with and understand their babies at such a tender age
• The role of music in shaping communication models
• How to overcome the challenge of top-down communication in companies
• Management of information on online media for effective use

Business Communication Research Paper Topics

• Discuss the increasing role of influencers on brand marketing
• Why company blogs are essential in attracting new clients
• Evaluate the differences between face to face and virtual business meetings
• The growing popularity of social media in business marketing
• Why every company should have a partner relations department
• Dealing with complaints in a relaxed and useful manner
• Why online project management is the future of business
• Discuss why it is necessary to have company retreats
• Explore the role of digital document sharing in speeding up business communication
• Effects of relying on online communication at the expense of physical meetings
• The role of effective business management in the performance of an organization
• How staff motivation improve the overall working environment
• Discuss the place of corporate social responsibility in a company
• Effective ways of handling crisis in a large company
• Explain why trust is important in any business partnerships

Intercultural Communication Research Topics

• Discuss how Muslims interact with Christians at a social level
• Evaluate the reception of instructions from a man to a woman
• How Americans interact with Africans at the basic level
• Discuss how an American Democrat would associate with a Chinese politician
• Discuss the impact of marginalization in developing communication messages
• How migration and immigration affect communication patterns
• Effects of social stereotyping in communication
• How do Western communication models differ from those of Africa?
• Impact of discriminatory communication messages
• How to organize an effective intergroup come-together
• How the media represents various groups in its communication
• Effects of the growing intercultural norms
• The role of language attitudes in inhibiting effective communication
• Evaluate how ethnographic perspectives affect communication messages
• Why it is difficult to solve intercultural conflicts

Additional Interpersonal Communication Topics For Research Paper

• The role of interpersonal communication in team member satisfaction
• How collaboration and teamwork enhances business success
• Discuss how interpersonal communication enhances problem-solving skills
• The role of trust in interpersonal communication
• Effects of confusion, negativity, and conflicts on interpersonal communication
• How to deal with workplace miscommunication effectively
• The role of personalizing information
• How to improve internal communication channels in a company
• Discuss the role of interests in communication patterns
• Challenges when implementing modern communication solutions
• Evaluate how jargon and inattention make internal communication difficult
• The role of feedback in interpreting messages correctly
• Discuss the influence of environmental factors in communication
• Why miscommunication may result in a disconnect among a group of people
• Discuss the role of skills and knowledge in effective communication among leaders

Interesting Communication Research Topics

• How can effective interpersonal communication be a catalyst for action
• Why a focused and intentional approach is necessary for effective communication
• Discuss why online dating is not successful in most cases
• Evaluate the role of non-verbal communication and customer satisfaction
• Why is it important to have a list of communication networks?
• Effects of lack of personal contact when it comes to communication
• Discuss the various forms of human interactions and their influence on communication
• The role of clear communication during an organizational change process
• Why online communication is not as effective as physical meetings
• Evaluate the roles and issues involved in a nurse-patient communication
• The role of TV shows in determining how people relate to each other in the society
• Effects of the digital divide in communication paradigms
• The relationship between quality leadership and effective communication
• Why is email still not yet an effective communication medium?
• Effects of integrating marketing communication

General Communication Studies Research Topics

• Discuss the differences in body language between male and female
• The role of communication in familiarizing with someone
• How online gaming communication affects one’s interpersonal communication
• Why a leader without proper communication skills may not succeed
• The role of communication in achieving an organization’s vision
• How mobile phone conversations are turning around interpersonal communication
• Discuss the role of different personality types in communication
• Is there a difference between language and communication?
• Discuss how communication in the military is different from that in a normal setting
• Compare and contrast between written and spoken forms of communication
• Why family communication is critical for a peaceful coexistence
• Shortcomings to understanding foreign languages
• Discuss the effectiveness of web-based communication

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The study of visual communication comprises such wide-reaching and voluminous literatures as art history; the philosophy of art and aesthetics; semiotics, cinema studies, television and mass media studies; the history and theory of photography; the history and theory of graphic design and typography; the study of word-image relationships in lite...

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Introduction. Visual communication and visual methods in research have grown in popularity in recent decades (see Barnhurst et al., 2004).For some, they offer the potential to engage and involve audiences, and others hope that visual communication can bridge communication difficulties, especially when diverse groups of researchers and the public work together (Goransson and Fagerholm, 2018).

Visual Communication provides an international forum for the growing body of work in numerous interrelated disciplines. Its broad coverage includes: still and moving images; graphic design and typography; visual phenomena such as fashion, … | View full journal description This journal is a member of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

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Visual Communication. Images, photography, and film can have a profound effect on people, sometimes even more so than the words that accompany them. Researchers at Annenberg consider the power of visuals, what we can learn from them, and how they can be used to communicate in ways that words cannot.

As we enter the third decade of the 21st century, the field of communication studies plays a more crucial role in understanding the contemporary world than ever before. Analyzing the role of modes and means of communication in areas as diverse as politics, culture, healthcare, advertising, the environment, and the working world is crucial in grasping our increasingly technologically mediated ...

Pages 29-50 Says What: Research on the Content in Visual Communication Shahira Fahmy, Mary Angela Bock, Wayne Wanta Pages 51-69 To Whom: Research on the Audiences in Visual Communication Shahira Fahmy, Mary Angela Bock, Wayne Wanta Pages 71-91

Visual Communication - Science topic. Explore the latest full-text research PDFs, articles, conference papers, preprints and more on VISUAL COMMUNICATION. Find methods information, sources ...

Her research focuses on how multi-modality (visual, text, audio, video) exacerbates the devastating consequences of mis- and disinformation. Dr. Bingbing Zhang ( [email protected] ) is an assistant professor at the University of Iowa School of Journalism and Mass Communication specializing in studying the effects of visual content on ...

Screens are keeping us connected now - but they're still disruptive to in-person communication. Tracy Dennis-Tiwary, Hunter College. Research shows smartphone use disrupts an essential facet ...

The goal of this special edition Research Topic is to shed light on the progress made in the past decade in the visual communication field and on its future challenges to provide a thorough overview of the state of the art of the visual communication field.

Visual Communication Theory and Research. As the previous chapters have outlined, research in visual communication is a robust field, providing fruitful areas for mass communication researchers ...

Expanding on research studying single candidates' (Lalancette & Raynauld, Citation 2019) and parties' (Filimonov et al., Citation 2016) use of visual social media, the interrelations between politicians' visual image strategies and how that affects their parties' visual communication on social media (or vice versa) and eventually voters ...

This article includes a brief definition of visual communication design, an overview of commonly used methods for visual communication design education such as Action Research and...

If you're just starting out exploring communication-related topics for your dissertation, thesis or research project, you've come to the right place. In this post, we'll help kickstart your research by providing a hearty list of research topics and ideas related to communication and comms strategy, including examples from recent studies.. PS - This is just the start…

166 Research Topics Guest edit your own article collection Suggest a topic. Submission. null. Submission ... Visual Communication; Ebook. null. Ebook. All results; Has e-book; Has no e-book; Clear all Filters Research Topics. Submission open Culture and Second Language (L2) Learning in Migrants - Volume II ...

The visual communication of scientific information is a key aspect for sharing and discussing scientific insights. Nevertheless, many images in the science landscape or popular discussions are...

178 Communication Research Topics For Your Paper Imagine what the world would be without communication! How would we get along? I guess there would be no sense in existing after all. That is just a tiny snippet of how important communication is in everyday life.

Keywords: visualization, visualization research, digital humanities, visual communication . Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements.Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

Digital Narrative and Interactive Storytelling for Public Engagement with Health and Science. Explores human communication and its various intersections with the natural world, focusing on how humans impact and are impacted by Earth's natural systems.