Propaganda posters as visual rhetoric : an exploration and case study

Abstract

All forms of material practice, including design, overtly or covertly manifest and reflect an inescapable ideological grounding. The overt display of an ideological point of view in design is defined as propaganda, the purpose of which is to create, uphold, or confront, ideological hegemony. Propaganda argues from values, which raises the question, how are people persuaded in argumentation that certain values are preferable? The purpose of this study is to explore propaganda posters as visual rhetoric. This introduction provides the necessary background to the problem, defines the problem and outlines the purpose, method and structure of the study, as well as the assumptions on which the study is based.