“ABSOLUTELY NEGATIVE IMAGE CAN HAVE MORE POSITIVE PERCEPTION IN SOCIETY THAN ABSOLUTELY POSITIVE ONE” : NVARD MELKONYAN

It was decided to organized this lecture as the system of state governance, political leaders are studied at the department of Political Science of the faculty and Public Relations and Image-making are closely related to them. During the lecture Nvard Melkonyan presented the concept of the image, outlined the necessity of creating a proper political image.

Presenting the difference between stereotypes and image Nvard Melkonyan noted, “Stereotypes generalize and smoothen the uniqueness of a phenomenon, blur the features of a person. Image emphasizes the uniqueness, exceptionality, personality. Stereotypes don’t require imagination, they is ready to be perceived. While image comes in an unfinished form and requires some orientation, emotional memory and additional directions of working out in accordance with social experience, besides it includes key symbols which are commented on during the process of perception”.

Nvard Melkonyan told about three main functions of image: identification, idealization and contrast. Bringing the current political situation as an example she outlined that presently the political image is on the stage of contrast; the new authorities emphasize their difference with the previous ones. “There is a very interesting paradox: absolutely negative image can have more positive perception in society than absolutely positive one.”

She attached importance to self-presentation peculiarities: self-identification, observation of surroundings, clarification and formation of goals.

At the end of the lecture Nvard Melkonyan advised those present to watch attentively the political situations and to compare the academic knowledge they get with the examples existing in practice.