Political symbolism is symbolism that is used to represent a political standpoint or party. Political symbols simplify and “summarize” the political structures and practices for which they stand; can connect institutions and beliefs with emotions; can help make a polity or political movement more cohesive. People fit themselves to words as much as they bend them to their own purposes. Different groups and individuals can interpret symbols differently because they all have the capacity to create the virtual reality within which they operate. The symbolism can occur in various media including

banners A banner can be a flag or another piece of cloth bearing a symbol, logo, slogan or another message. A flag whose design is the same as the shield in a coat of arms (but usually in a square or rectangular shape) is called a banner of arms. Also ...

pictures An image is a visual representation of something. It can be two-dimensional, three-dimensional, or somehow otherwise feed into the visual system to convey information. An image can be an artifact, such as a photograph or other two-dimensiona ...

, and

flags A flag is a piece of textile, fabric (most often rectangular or quadrilateral) with a distinctive design and colours. It is used as a symbol, a signalling device, or for decoration. The term ''flag'' is also used to refer to the graphic desi ...

. For example, Red flags have traditionally been flown by

socialists Socialism is a left-wing economic philosophy and movement encompassing a range of economic systems characterized by the dominance of social ownership of the means of production as opposed to private ownership. As a term, it describes the eco ...

left-wing Left-wing politics describes the range of political ideologies that support and seek to achieve social equality and egalitarianism, often in opposition to social hierarchy. Left-wing politics typically involve a concern for those in soci ...

radicals, and communist groups to represent the "blood of the workers". Black flags have traditionally been flown by anarchism, and

radicals to represent the absence of all oppressive structures. A combination of the two colors in a black flag represents social anarchism, such as

anarchist communism Anarcho-communism, also known as anarchist communism, (or, colloquially, ''ancom'' or ''ancomm'') is a political philosophy and anarchist school of thought that advocates communism. It calls for the abolition of private property but retains res ...

and anarcho syndicalism. Many groups use the political colour associated with their political philosophy, for example blue, particularly dark blue, is often associated with

conservative parties The Conservative Party is a name used by many political parties around the world. These political parties are generally right-wing though their exact ideologies can range from center-right to far-right. Political parties called The Conservative Pa ...

. Cultural groups may use symbols in what many consider to be a political way, for example

LGBT symbols Over the course of its history, the LGBT community has adopted certain symbols for self-identification to demonstrate unity, pride, shared values, and allegiance to one another. These symbols communicate ideas, concepts, and identity both wit ...

like the

Rainbow flag A rainbow flag is a multicolored flag consisting of the colors of the rainbow. The designs differ, but many of the colors are based on the spectral colors of the visible light spectrum. The LGBT flag introduced in 1978 is the most recogniz ...

are used to promote the political goal of

LGBT ' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity. The LGBT term ...

rights.

Individual parties often associate, officially or unofficially, with symbols — sometimes adopting or incorporating symbolism associated with ideologies they support. In some democracies these symbols are regulated by law, for example, in the United Kingdom, political symbols are regulated by the

Electoral Commission An election commission is a body charged with overseeing the implementation of electioneering process of any country. The formal names of election commissions vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, and may be styled an electoral commission, a c ...

. In some countries, political symbols appear on ballot papers. These are known as electoral symbols and one of their functions is to help illiterate voters identify parties.

References

Symbolism Symbolism or symbolist may refer to: Arts * Symbolism (arts), a 19th-century movement rejecting Realism ** Symbolist movement in Romania, symbolist literature and visual arts in Romania during the late 19th and early 20th centuries ** Russian sym ...

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See also

References