A European conceptualization of representation, assumes that there is a reality and that there is a representation. Maya’s comment says that there can be an incorrect representation, Prof H says that implies a representation can be correct. We set it up as a binary, but I think it’s more of a gradient, degrees of “correctness” or degrees of how closely a representation can get to reality. Clearly here is the issue because there will be disagreement on how close various representations are to reality. When we talk about how positionality is going to affect one’s view of the world -categorization of objects and concepts, understanding of language and symbols- there is bound to be disagreement over how well a representation captures reality.

That disagreement over how well a representation emulates reality is seen when considering the video of the beating of Rodney King as a representation of reality. In this case reality is not a place, like Cairo, but a finite point in time, an event. That leaves the court with only representations of reality to work from. 

Our reading of Geertz last week introduced the idea of “turtles all the way down”, that is interpretations layered on top of interpretations. At this point I am unsure if it is helpful to be conflating interpretation with representation, but I do feel that the two are linked. In the documentary we watched on California v. Powell we saw the layering of interpretations on a representation, the video of the beating, in effect. As was briefly mentioned in class, the issue of positionality comes into play. The various interpretations of the video are at times conflicting and competing because of the positionality of the interpreters. I think that the documentary itself can be looked at as an interpretation of the whole case, filtered and edited before it gets to our eyes. And to add another turtle to the stack, we are making our own interpretations of the video of the beating and the documentary on the case coming from our own individuals positionalities, as well as a shared one of living in a time where videos similar that of the beating of Rodney King seem to come out every other week.

The question that I am still left with is how to conceptualize the relationship between representation and interpretation. Is it possible to have a representation that isn’t at some level interpretive? And how do each of these affect our view on authenticity? Regardless, I think that it is important to reflect on who is doing the representing and interpreting, and why.