Beautiful British Columbia? : a textual analysis of a place-image
Date
1994
Authors
Dunham, Karen Ann
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Abstract
The research focuses on images of the landscape of British Columbia. Images of the province are constantly being produced by the provincial government and portrayed to the public to increase awareness of specific localities among potential tourists, business and investment interests, and the residents themselves. In promoting and emphasizing specific images of the province over time, a certain representation, and therefore identity for, British Columbia is being created.
The intention of this study is: (1) to specify in detail the image of the province put forward by the provincial government, including capsule images, regional images, image frequencies , and variations over time and space; (2) to critically assess this image, especially in light of what is not included; and (3) to attempt to understand the social, economic and political content of these images. The images analyzed comprise the verbal and visual text of three media published by the provincial government: the Beautiful British Columbia magazine, which was published by the B.C. Ministry of Tourism from Summer 1959 to Autumn 1983; the provincial motor vehicle licence plate; and the 'Super, Natural' advertising campaign.
This study entails both quantitative and qualitative methodologies. Analysis begins with a detailed content analysis of the Beautiful British Columbia magazine for the years 1959 to 1983. The goal of the content analysis is to construct a detailed data set comprised of the magazine's textual subject content, pictorial support and associated geographic location. Trends emerging from the content analysis indicate specific spatial distributions over time of promoted images as well as temporal variations in subject content of the images. Hermeneutics was utilized in an attempt to refine the interplay of meanings in the text and context. Four themes are defined in the empirical data: a city-countryside-wilderness theme; insider and outsider; the old and the new; and up, down, and on the landscape.
An image of "Beautiful British Columbia" is conveyed in the phrase endorsed on the provincial licence plate. Awareness of the geographical attributes of forested mountains and ocean waves is expressed by the green and blue symbols on the personalized plate. The 'Super, Natural' advertising campaign, initiated in the mid-1970s, highlights the outdoor environments of British Columbia. The 'Super, Natural' advertisements primarily promote a panoramic view of B.C.'s extraordinary landscape attributes. Generally, the advertisements are accepted positively by the viewing public and maintain high levels of readership. Recently, however, public controversy has stemmed from questions regarding the authenticity of some of the campaign photographs.
A distinctive identifying image of a scenic landscape is defined as the contemporary image of British Columbia. The beautiful and natural attributes of this image are inherent in the slogans "Beautiful British Columbia" and "Super, Natural British Columbia". These two words are examined in relation to their meaning and image in contemporary society. Analysis of the visual text suggests that three "families" of images are exemplified in the capsule image: (a) the NATURAL image emphasizes characteristics of healthy forest , mountain vistas and panoramic skies; (b) the BUILT image depicts a modem urban scene with coastal and scenic attributes; and (c) the ECONOMIC image, which is characterized by two associated images of accessibility and prosperity.
Through these images, a collection of descriptions and stereotypes define British Columbia as a place and a tourist destination. However, the credibility of the advertised images is questioned as to truthful representation of the B.C. landscape and the extent of aesthetic consumerism manufactured in the image. The significance of the "politics of production of the tourist sight" (van den Abbeele, 1980) is discussed in terms of the dichotomy between the persuasive image of picturesque scenery and the external reality of visually degraded landscapes. Implications as to the promotion of the extraordinary, or hyperbolic, attributes of the landscape are addressed.