Homework #3 - Photo Essay by

Influencing Faith: The Role of Mormon Influencers in Shaping Culture

jjaegel — 2024-04-26 19:08:52 UTC

jjaegel — 2024-04-26 21:27:33 UTC

In recent years, social media has become an extremely powerful platform for individuals to share their beliefs, values, and religion with one another. Among influencers who share their daily lives with a wide audience of followers, members of the Mormon faith have been using platforms such as Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok to spread their messages of faith, family, and community. This in turn has shaped various cultural norms while promoting religious ideals.

The Digital Pulpit

jjaegel — 2024-04-26 21:45:20 UTC

This is a screenshot of a Mormon influencer's profile, featuring photos of a happy family, the events they attend, the food they cook, as well as many other very personal aspects not everyone would share on a daily basis.

jjaegel — 2024-04-26 21:48:48 UTC

Mormon influencers utilize social media platforms as digital pulpits to share their testemonies, promote religious teachings, and connect with their global audience of followers.

Family Values

jjaegel — 2024-04-26 21:54:59 UTC

Mormon influencers often emphasize the importance of family values and traditions. This showcases their own familial relationships as examples of the blessings of living according to Mormon principles and religion.

Faith in Action

jjaegel — 2024-04-26 22:08:43 UTC

Through their online presence, Mormon influencers demonstrate how their faith translates into action, inspiring others to live lives of service and compassion.

jjaegel — 2024-04-26 22:11:03 UTC

By sharing very intimate and private moments such as ones baptism, Mormon influencers oftentimes blur the line between what someone might regularly see or post on their own social medias. This is all in an attempt to share and spread their faith, influencing others to take on their Mormon lifestyle.

Navigating Modernity and Sensitive Topics

jjaegel — 2024-04-26 22:24:54 UTC

A sensitive topic that most don't share to a global audience of followers, this Mormon influencer talks about her past experiences dealing with an eating disorder. Within various different religions there is often a stigma around speaking on issues such as this however in modern day social media, it is more common than you'd think. By sharing this vulnerable and sensitive story, you are likely to appeal to a more specific audience and draw in viewers that can relate to this topic. This is just one example but by doing this Mormon influencers are shedding light upon issues that might not ever be talked about in the church because of the potential stigma that might be related to them.

Community Building

jjaegel — 2024-04-26 22:38:19 UTC

Through their online presence, Mormon influencers foster a sense of community and belonging among their followers, creating virtual spaces for fellowship and encouragment. This extends even further when followers or fans of these influencers meet them in person, physically forming a community that once only existed online.

Ideals of Perfection

jjaegel — 2024-04-27 01:08:24 UTC

A common theme amongst influencers is the idealism of perfection in their everyday lives. When this is the case it becomes potentially damaging for the fans and viewers comparing their lives to the lives of these influencers. When this occurs there could be potential mental health issues involved as well.

jjaegel — 2024-04-27 01:22:39 UTC

In this assignment, I opted to use the photo essay option, which goes along with the guidelines in chapter 12 of the textbook titled "Applying Visual Methods in Ethnographic Research" (Bird, 2007). This project compiles and organizes words and pictures to create a coherent story, utilizing captions and imagery to convey the role of ideas and ideology in shaping culture. While the assignment focuses mainly on the influence of ideas across various cultural contexts, I chose to narrow the scope of my project to specifically focus on Mormon influencers, giving a focused examination of how religious beliefs intersect with digital media.

Through the lens of a photo essay, we explored how these influencers utilize social media platforms to propagate religious beliefs, promote family values, engage in acts of service, address contemporary issues, and build virtual communities. Each photo and caption provided insight into the ways in which Mormon influencers leverage their online presence to influence and shape cultural norms within the Mormon community and beyond.

Religion, as exemplified by the practices and beliefs of Mormon influencers, serves as a powerful force in shaping cultural identities and behaviors. From the digital pulpit of social media, these influencers disseminate messages of faith and devotion, connecting with a global audience and fostering a sense of community among believers. By showcasing their own lives and experiences, they offer a window into the lived reality of Mormonism, demonstrating how religious ideals can be integrated into everyday life in the modern world.

This assignment underscores the transformative potential of digital platforms in facilitating cultural exchange and ideological dissemination. Through social media, individuals have unprecedented access to diverse perspectives and ideas, allowing for the rapid spread of beliefs and values across geographic and cultural boundaries. Mormon influencers exemplify how digital spaces can be harnessed to perpetuate and reinforce cultural norms, while also adapting to the evolving needs and challenges of contemporary society.

In conclusion, the exploration of Mormon influencers within the framework of a photo essay offers valuable insights into the complex interplay between ideas, ideology, and culture in the digital age. By examining the ways in which these influencers harness the power of social media to propagate religious beliefs, promote community engagement, and navigate modern challenges, we gain a deeper understanding of the profound impact of digital culture on shaping contemporary society. Ultimately, this assignment highlights the dynamic and ever-evolving nature of cultural expression in an increasingly interconnected world.

Citations

jjaegel — 2024-04-27 01:24:08 UTC

Bird, S. Elizabeth. 2007. "Applying Visual Methods in Ethnographic Research." In Doing Cultural
Anthropology: Projects for Ethnographic Data Collection, 2nd Edition, by Michael V. Angrosino,
129-138. Long Grove, IL: Waveland Press.