Visualising charisma: representations of the charismatic touch

• Published in: Visual studies (Abingdon, England) Vol. 29; no. 3; pp. 272 - 284
• Main Authors: Immergut, Matthew, Kosut, Mary
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Routledge 02-09-2014
• Subjects: 21st century; Authority; Buddhists; Charisma; Ethnographic research; Ethnography; Leadership; Mass Media Images; Photography; Physical Contact; Political Systems; Religious leaders; Social interaction; Social theory; Visual communication
• ISSN: 1472-586X; 1472-5878
• DOI: 10.1080/1472586X.2014.941561

Although sociologists regard charisma as a social construct, few studies look at the explicit interactions that create and maintain this type of authority. This article examines one specific, but ubiquitous social interaction between leader and follower - the charismatic touch. The charismatic touch is a semi-formal interaction in which leader and followers exchange mutual recognition through verbal, visual and physical touch. Through touching each other this way, charisma becomes palpable, the bond with followers enlivened and the authority of the leader reconstituted. By analysing photographs from a visual ethnographic study of Diamond Mountain, a Western convert Buddhist community, and images of political leaders culled from mass media, one can observe a dynamic of intimacy and distance in maintaining and performing charisma. As data, visual representations of the charismatic touch capture evidence of its micro-interactional nature and offer a new approach to the field of charisma in the digital age.