이 논문은 미국에서 생산되는 미국삼이 19세기 서구 약전에서 퇴출된 이후, 20세기에 수출 상품으로서 위기를 겪고, 결국은 '식이보충제'로서 미국 사회와 군대 내에 정착하게 되는 과정을 다루고 있다. 이 과정 속에서 먼저 1994년의 <식이보충제 건강 및 교육법>이라는 법령의 제정은 인삼을 비롯한 식물성 식이보충제들이 미국의 시장에 본격적으로 진출할 수 있는 교두보를 마련해줬고, 그 결과 인삼은 과거 약전에서의 퇴출 이후 '식이보충제'로서 <미국 약전 및 국민 처방집>에 다시 등재될 수 있었다. 하지만 이것은 인삼과 기타 식물성 식이보충제들의 완전한 연착륙을 의미하는 것은 아니었다. 식물성 식이보충제들의 무차별적인 확산을 경계한 미국의 의학계에서는 끊임없이 '위험 담론'을 제기하면서 과학적으로 검증되지 않은 식이보충제 활용에 대한 우려를 표했다. 이것은 <식이보충제 건강 및 교육법>의 느슨한 검증 제도로 인한 근본적인 문제뿐만 아니라, 미국의 대중들이 전문 의료인들을 찾기보다는 직접 식물성 식이보충제에 대한 정보를 얻어 그것을 통해 본인의 건강을 돌보고자 하는 새로운 분위기와도 관계되어 있었다. 이런 상황 속에서 '옹호 담론'을 펼치는 식이보충제 제조업자 및 식물 약재 관계자들의 주장은 다소 여유로워 보였다. 소비자들이 '옹호 담론'의 손을 들어주고 있는 상황 속에서 옹호론자들은 식물성 식이보충제들이 오랜 세월 아무런 문제없이 세계적으로 활용되어왔으며, '천연의' 원료로 만들어졌다는 점만 강조하면 되었기 때문이다. 인삼을 비롯한 식물성 식이보충제들이 사회 내의 담론 충돌 속에서도 식품 통제에 엄격한 미군의 식이보충제 매뉴얼에까지 진출할 수 있었던 것은 미국 내의 이러한 분위기에 편승한 것으로 보인다. 본문에서 살펴본 미군의 초창기 식이보충제 매뉴얼에서 인삼은 여러 식물성 식이보충제 가운데 가장 자세하게 다뤄지고 있었다. 물론 그 속에는 사회 내에 존재하는 '안전성에 대한 우려'도 다소 섞여있었지만, 효능에 대한 충실한 과학적인 설명이나 인삼의 미국 사회 내 성행과 영향력에 대한 언급도 분명히 함께 이뤄지고 있다. 이런 점을 고려할 때 '식이보충제로서의 인삼'에 대한 미국 사회의, 그리고 미국 군 내부의 관심은 상당히 높다고 볼 수 있다.
Visual media transmits image and information reproduced in large quantities, such as a photography, film, television, video, advertisement, or computer image. Correspondence to the students' reception and recognition of culture in the future. arrangements for the field of studies of visual culture. 'Visual Culture' implies cultural phenomena of visual images via visual media, which includes not only the categories of traditional arts like a painting, sculpture, print, or design, but the performance arts including a fashion show or parade of carnival, and the mass and electronic media like a photography, film, television, video, advertisement, cartoon, animation, or computer image. In the world of visual media, Image' functions as an essential medium of communication. Therefore, people call the culture of today fra of Image Culture', which has been converted from an alphabet convergence era to an image convergence one. Image, via visual media, has become a dominant means for communication in large part of human life, so we can designate an Image' as a typical aspect of visual culture today. Image, as an essential medium of communication, plays an important role in contemporary society. The one way is the conversion of analogue image like an actual picture, photograph, or film into digital one through the digitalization of digital camera or scanner as 'an analogue/digital commutator'. The other is a way of process with a computer drawing, or modeling of objects. It is appropriate to the production of pictorial and surreal images. Digital images, produced by the other, can be divided into the form of Pixel' and form of Vector'. Vector is a line linking the point of departure to the point of end, which organizes informations. Computer stores each line's standard location and correlative locations to one another Digital image shows for more 'Perfectness' than any other visual media. Digital image has been evolving in the diverse aspects, such as a production of geometrical or organic image compositing, interactive art, multimedia art, or web art, which has been applied a computer as an extended trot of painting. Someone often interprets digitalized copy with endless reproduction of original even as an extension of a print. Visual af is no longer a simple activity of representation by a painter or sculptor, but now is intimately associated with a matter of application of media. There is some problem in images via visual media. First, the image via media doesn't reflect a reality as it is, but reflects an artificial manipulated world, that is, a virtual reality. Second, the introduction of digital effect and the development of image processing technology have enhanced a spectacle of destructive and violent scenes. Third, a child intends to recognize the interactive images of computer game and virtual reality as a reality, or truth. Education needs not only to point out an ill effect of mass media and prevent the younger generation from being damaged by it, but also to offer a knowledge and know-how to cope actively with social, cultural circumstances. Visual media education is one of these essential methods for the contemporary and future human being in the overflowing of image informations. The fosterage of 'Visual Literacy' can be considered as a very purpose of visual media education. This is a way to lead an individual to the discerning, active consumer and producer of visual media in life as far as possible. The elements of 'Visual Literacy' can be divided into a faculty of recognition related to the visual media, a faculty of critical reception, a faculty of appropriate application, a faculty of active work and a faculty of creative modeling, which are promoted at the same time by the education of 'visual literacy'. In conclusion, the education of 'Visual Literacy' guides students to comprehend and discriminate the visual image media carefully, or receive them critically, apply them properly, or produce them creatively and voluntarily. Moreover, it leads to an artistic activity by means of new media. This education can be approached and enhanced by the connection and integration with real life. Visual arts and education of them play an important role in the digital era depended on visual communications via image information. Visual me야a of day functions as an essential element both in daily life and in arts. Students can soundly understand visual phenomena of today by means of visual media, and apply it as an expression tool of life culture as well. A new recognition and valuation visual image and media education is required to cultivate the capability of active, upright dealing with the changes of history of civilization. 1) Visual media education helps to cultivate a sensibility for images, which reacts to and deals with the circumstances. 2) It helps students to comprehend the contemporary arts and culture via new media. 3) It supplies a chance of students' experiencing a visual modeling by means of new media. 4) There are educational opportunities of images with temporality and spaciality, and therefore a discerning person becomes to increase. 5) The modeling activity via new media leads students to be continuously interested in the school and production of plastic arts. 6) It raises the ability of visual communications dealing with image information society. 7) An education of digital image is significant in respect of cultivation of man of talent for the future society of image information as well. To correspond to the changing and developing social, cultural circumstances, and the form and recognition of students' reception of them, visual arts education must arrange the field of studying on a new visual culture. Besides, a program needs to be developed, which is in more systematic and active level in relation to visual media education. Educational contents should be extended to the media for visual images, that is, photography, film, television, video, computer graphic, animation, music video, computer game and multimedia. Every media must be separately approached, because they maintain the modes and peculiarities of their own according to the conveyance form of message. The concrete and systematic method of teaching and the quality of education must be researched and developed, centering around the development of a course of study. Teacher's foundational capability of teaching should be cultivated for the visual media education. In this case, it must be paid attention to the fact that a technological level of media is considered as a secondary. Because school education doesn't intend to train expert and skillful producers, but intends to lay stress on the essential aesthetic one with visual media under the social and cultural context, in respect of a consumer including a man of culture.