Carl Jones presents research on Decolonizing Mexican Advertising at IASS Congress

Research Presentation on Decolonizing Mexican Advertising at IASS Congress

Snr Lecturer Carl W Jones is a dedicated researcher in the field of media and advertising, recently presented his  groundbreaking research at the 16th International Congress of the International Association for Semiotic Studies (IASS) held in Warsaw, Poland. The focus of the presentation was on “Decoding and encoding signs to confront colonial thinking in Mexican publicity to resist the racist spectacle“

In this significant work, Carl highlighted how Mexican advertising often perpetuates colonial-era stereotypes and colorism, favoring lighter skin tones and European features. By tracing these issues to historical racial categorization systems, such as the pinturas de castas, the research advocates for a critical examination of advertising practices.

Key recommendations from the presentation include: 
– Incorporating anti-racist education into marketing curricula to foster awareness among future advertisers.
– Increasing diversity within advertising agencies to better reflect the multicultural fabric of society.
– Encouraging brands to align their messages of solidarity with actionable steps towards inclusivity.

This research aims to challenge and transform the advertising landscape in Mexico, promoting a more equitable representation of diverse identities. Carl is passionate about utilizing semiotic analysis to expose and dismantle harmful power structures within Mexican media and advertising. 

World renown semiotician Professor Alexandros Ph. Lagopoulos chaired Jones’s panel. 

Carl is also one of two UK representatives on the executive committee of the IASS  where the members just voted for a new President of this global association. 

Learn more about IASS here: https://www.semcon2024.com