PEACE CORPS IN THE 21 ST CENTURY: A RHETORICAL ANALYSIS

71Figure 3.1Images have cultural, historical, and political effects. 130Guy Debord claims thatthe image is central to contemporary society because photographs and film, rather thanwritten texts, are now the primary educators. 131Photographs do not merely representreality but also have the potential, as Kevin DeLuca and Anne Demo argue, “to create it[reality].” 132Because photographs both represent and create reality, Peace Corps imageshave the potential to reflect our idea of service and create an idea of service; therefore,analyzing photographs reveals how Americans view the Peace Corps. It is increasinglyimportant to look at such photographs to understand how the developing world andvolunteer service are presented to the West. The images produced by the organizationare not merely reflective of our perceptions about “social capital” but are actually theprogenitors of the social climate of the 21 st century. They reflect our public ideologyabout the third world and create a narrative of volunteer service.Creating an attractive public image can make an organization successful. Doingthis not only helps with recruitment, but also garners public support for the organization.Public support is important because the Peace Corps relies on its public image forcontinued government funding. Photographic images and public service announcementsaccount for the majority of the Peace Corps’ face to the American public. In the previouschapter, the specific recruitment rhetoric from the Peace Corps’ web site revealed a newrhetorical strategy.