scholarly journals Social Semiotics of Gangstalking Evidence Videos on YouTube: Multimodal Discourse Analysis of a Novel Persecutory Belief System (Preprint)

10.2196/30311 ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Lustig ◽  
Gavin Brookes ◽  
Daniel Hunt
Keyword(s):  
Discourse Analysis ◽  
Belief System ◽  
Social Semiotics ◽  
Multimodal Discourse Analysis ◽  
Multimodal Discourse

Social Semiotics of Gangstalking Evidence Videos on YouTube: Multimodal Discourse Analysis of a Novel Persecutory Belief System (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Lustig ◽  
Gavin Brookes ◽  
Daniel Hunt
Keyword(s):  
Discourse Analysis ◽  
Mentally Ill ◽  
Belief Systems ◽  
Belief System ◽  
Classification Systems ◽  
Theory Approach ◽  
Definitive Evidence ◽  
Multimodal Discourse Analysis ◽  
Multimodal Discourse ◽  
Naturalistic Setting

BACKGROUND Gangstalking refers to a novel persecutory belief system wherein sufferers believe that they are being followed, watched, and harassed by a vast network of people in their community who have been recruited as complicit perpetrators. They are frequently diagnosed as mentally ill, though they vehemently reject this formulation. Those affected by this belief system self-identify as targeted individuals. Targeted individuals seek to prove the veracity of their persecution and dispute the notion that they are mentally ill by posting videos online that purport to provide definitive evidence to substantiate their claims of harassment. OBJECTIVE The objective of the study was to characterize the multimodal social semiotic practices employed in gangstalking evidence videos. METHODS We assembled a group of 50 evidence videos posted on YouTube by self-identified targeted individuals. We performed a multimodal discourse analysis on a corpus of 50 YouTube vlogs. We employed a grounded theory approach to data analysis. RESULTS Targeted individuals accomplished several social and interpersonal tasks in the videos. They constructed their own identity as subjects of persecution and refuted the notion that they suffered from mental illness. They also cultivated positive ambient affiliation with viewers of the videos but manifested hostility to people who appeared in the videos. They made extensive use of multimodal deixis to generate salience and construe the gangstalking belief system. The act of filming itself was a source of conflict and served as a self-fulfilling prophecy; filming was undertaken to neutrally record hostility directed towards vloggers. However, the act of filming precipitated the very behaviours that they set out to document. Finally, the act of filming was also regarded as an act of resistance and empowerment by vloggers. CONCLUSIONS This data provides valuable insights into the social and linguistics construction of a novel persecutory belief system. The data is collected in a naturalistic setting and is not influenced by interviewers or clinicians, which may influence the disclosures of those affected in clinical settings. It demonstrated that interpersonal concerns figured prominently for those affected by this belief system and they constructed various subjects as either sympathetic or hostile. They created positive ambient affiliation with viewers of the videos. This study found that vloggers used multimodal deixis to construct the salience of the gangstalking belief system. The videos also highlighted the Derridean concept of differance, wherein meaning of polysemous signifiers is deferred without definitive resolution. This may have important clinical ramification in communicating with people and patients suffering from persecutory belief systems. Clinicians working with adherents to persecutory belief systems may consider stepping away from the traditional true/false dichotomy historically endorsed by psychiatric classification systems and focus on the fundamental ambiguity inherent in semiotic systems generally and in persecutory belief systems specifically.

scholarly journals CONTENT ANALYSIS OF COVID-19 MESSAGES ON SELECT WHATSAPP GROUPS: A NIGERIAN PERSPECTIVE

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Umefien Dakoru Epepe
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Discourse Analysis ◽  
Social Semiotics ◽  
Conspiracy Theories ◽  
Multimodal Discourse Analysis ◽  
Multimodal Discourse ◽  
Analysis Methods ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
Official Sources

This study examined novel coronavirus (COVID-19) messages on select Nigeria-based WhatsApp groups. Viewed through the lens of the Rumour Theory, the study applied content analysis and social semiotics (multimodal discourse analysis) methods. Data were elicited from three purposively selected WhatsApp groups, using the constructed and continuous weeks approach. The sample covered 6 weeks (42 days), spread across March, April, and May 2020. Findings from the content analysis showed that texts, comments, and linked message on COVID-19, had the highest frequency. The frequency of messages peaked in March and steeply tapered downwards in April and May 2020. The multimodal discourse analysis demonstrated a preponderance of messages about vaccines, treatment, prevention, lockdown, and conspiracy theories. A significant number of COVID-19 messages were based on rumours and misinformation from spurious sources, with a few from credible sources. The study recommended that to help flatten the misinformation curve, timely, unambiguous and accurate COVID-19 information should be provided from official sources.

scholarly journals A Multimodal Discourse Analysis of the Interpersonal Meaning of a Television Advertisement in Indonesia

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 119-126
Author(s):  
Didin Nuruddin Hidayat ◽  
Abrizal A ◽  
Alex A
Keyword(s):  
Discourse Analysis ◽  
English Education ◽  
Social Semiotics ◽  
Language Function ◽  
Multimodal Discourse Analysis ◽  
Television Advertisement ◽  
Multimodal Discourse ◽  
Wedding Ceremony ◽  
Significant Factors

ABSTRACTThis article attempts to investigate and explore the interpersonal meaning of YOU C1000 on Indonesian television advertisements. This study was conducted qualitatively using case study to check how different semiotic and modes such as music, sound, speech, color, action, and image work together to build the interpersonal meaning. This study discusses the interpersonal meaning in speech and music, interpersonal meaning in movement and interpersonal meaning in image and color. The study aimed to give some contributions to social semiotics studies, television, or video advertisement. YOU C1000 advertisement is successful to attract audiences’ attention. The election of Miss Universe advertisement star, Bali as the shooting location, English as the language function and wedding ceremony as the activity are the significant factors to introduce the product to the market. In addition, its tagline is a successor factor as well. If people hear Healthy Inside and Fresh Outside, they will remember YOU C1000.                                       ABSTRAKArtikel ini bertujuan untuk menginvestigasi and menyelidiki makna interpersonal dari produk ‘YOU C1000’ pada iklan televisi Indonesia. Penelitian ini dilakukan secara kualitatif dengan menggunakan pendekatan studi kasus untuk mengetahui bagaimana semiotik dan moda yang berbeda seperti musik, suara, ucapan, warna, tindakan, dan gambar, dapat berjalan bersama-sama dalam membentuk makna interpersonal. Penelitian ini mengulas makna interpersonal dalam ucapan dan musik, makna interpersonal dalam gerakan, dan makna interpersonal dalam gambar dan warna. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk memberikan kontribusi pada studi semiotika sosial, televisi, atau iklan video. Iklan YOU C1000 berhasil menarik perhatian penonton. Pemilihan bintang iklan Miss Universe, Bali sebagai lokasi syuting, bahasa Inggris sebagai fungsi bahasa dan upacara pernikahan sebagai aktivitasnya adalah faktor-faktor yang signifikan untuk memperkenalkan produk tersebut ke pasar. Selain itu, ‘tagline’-nya juga merupakan faktor penting lainnya. Jika orang-orang mendengar ‘Healthy Inside and Fresh Outside’, mereka akan mengingat YOU C1000.     How to Cite: Hidayat, D. N.., Abrizal., Alek. (2018). A Multimodal Discourse Analysis of the Interpersonal Meaning of a Television Advertisement in Indonesia. IJEE (Indonesian Journal of English Education), 5(2), 119-126. doi:10.15408/ijee.v5i2.11188

scholarly journals Multimodal Discourse Analysis of the Movie Poster Little Big Soldier

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 101-105
Author(s):  
Li Yin ◽  
◽  
Hanita Hassan
Keyword(s):  
Discourse Analysis ◽  
21St Century ◽  
Computer Technology ◽  
Visual Media ◽  
Social Semiotics ◽  
Multimodal Discourse Analysis ◽  
Multimodal Discourse

Movie Posters are visual media used to transmit cultural and commercial information through social semiotics such as image, text, font and color. One of the important techniques of poster design is to convey movie topics or focused information. Movie poster design has gone through two major periods in China. Between 1980s and 1990s, posters were apparently designed simple and color-vivid; entering the 21st century, with computer technology, Chinese movie posters have shown diversified expressions and propagandas, which seem more fresh and unique in artistic charm. Multimodality usually expresses meanings through the combination of text and other elements, and movie poster is one of the multimodal means. This paper discusses the findings of multimodal discourse analysis by Kress &Van Leeuwen carried out on a movie poster Little Big Soldier, of which the aims are, among others, to reveal how verbal and visual signs work together as social signs to interpret the representational, interactional and compositional meanings, thus viewers better understand how the movie poster realizes meaning co-construction and how it conveys the movie information. The main goal of poster message is to play a propaganda role and attract more audience to the movie.

scholarly journals AN ANALYSIS ON TEACHERS' IDENTITY REPRESENTATIONS ON INSTAGRAM

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Didin Nuruddin Hidayat ◽  
Lili Samrotul Karimah ◽  
Alek Alek ◽  
Agus Sufyan
Keyword(s):  
Discourse Analysis ◽  
Critical Discourse Analysis ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Teaching Profession ◽  
Critical Discourse ◽  
Social Semiotics ◽  
Multimodal Discourse Analysis ◽  
Multimodal Discourse ◽  
Number Of Factors ◽  
Job Title

<p>The teaching profession has been seen as a highly respected job title in some developed countries for bringing significant impacts on the country’s national growth. It is, therefore, teachers are often illustrated into some animations, videos, or pictures on websites and other internet sources. This research aimed to investigate how teachers’ identity is represented on Instagram. 10 Instagram posts related to this issue with the help of Instagram hashtag about #teacherlife were used as the data to get the finding. This research applied the theory and method of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) with the perspective of multimodal discourse analysis and social semiotics. The data were analyzed using the sign model of Saussure. Initial coding was also used to analyze the data. After that, the data were then thematized to categorize the data analysis results. The findings of this study revealed that teachers’ identity represented on Instagram provides meaningful insights and offers rich perspectives. It was evident that many ideas of teachers’ identity are against the teachers’ expectations.  Four major themes were revealed; they are the teachers’ responsibility, teachers’ commitment, teachers’ authority, and teachers’ needs for recognition. Furthermore, as identity is affected by a significant number of factors, different contexts of teachers may have different identities.</p>

scholarly journals Text Cohesion in English Scientific Texts Written by Saudi Undergraduate Dentistry Students: A Multimodal Discourse Analysis of Textual and Logical Relations in Oral Biology Texts

SAGE Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 215824402110321
Author(s):  
Hesham Suleiman Alyousef
Keyword(s):  
Discourse Analysis ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Meaning Making ◽  
Linguistic Knowledge ◽  
Bachelor Of Science ◽  
Lexical Cohesion ◽  
Multimodal Discourse Analysis ◽  
Multimodal Discourse ◽  
Cohesive Devices ◽  
Analysis Scheme

This qualitative study examined multimodal cohesive devices in English oral biology texts by eight high-achieving Saudi English-as-a-foreign-language students enrolled in a Bachelor of Science Dentistry program. A Systemic Functional Multimodal Discourse Analysis (SF-MDA) of the textual and logical cohesive devices in oral biology texts was conducted, employing Halliday and Hasan’s cohesion analysis scheme. The findings showed that students used varied cohesive devices: lexical cohesion, followed by reference and conjunctions. Although ellipsis was minimally employed in the oral biology texts, its discipline-specific uses emerged: the use of bullet points and numbered lists that facilitate recall. The SF-MDA of cohesion in multimodal semiotic resources highlighted the processes underlying construction of conceptual and linguistic knowledge of cohesive devices in oral biology texts. The results indicate that oral biology discourse is interdisciplinary, including a number of subfields in biology. The SF-MDA of pictorial oral biology representations indicates that they include instances of cohesive devices that illustrate and complement verbal texts. The results indicate that undergraduate students need to be provided with a variety of multimodal high-cohesion texts so that they can successfully extend underlying conceptual and logical meaning-making relations.

Māori Gender Non-conforming Identity: Analysing the ‘Takatāpui’ Discourse

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesca Marino
Keyword(s):  
Discourse Analysis ◽  
Cultural Identity ◽  
Indigenous Peoples ◽  
First Century ◽  
Sex Characteristics ◽  
Analysis Framework ◽  
Culturally Specific ◽  
Multimodal Discourse Analysis ◽  
Multimodal Discourse ◽  
Decolonizing Methodologies

AbstractThis study aims to investigate the process of reconstruction of Māori postcolonial cultural identity in the twenty-first century which also passes through the reclamation and redefinition of ‘takatāpui’ notion. ‘Takatāpui’ is an umbrella term that nowadays indicates all the Māori with non-conforming wairua (spiritualities, gender identities), sexualities and sex characteristics. It is a culturally specific word which represents a form of intersectionality by identifying people as both Māori and queer.As a consequence of the increasing spread of the Internet, which has become a virtual place to construe identity and to promote the dissemination of ideas, a Multimodal Discourse Analysis is conducted on a corpus comprising 10 audiovisual texts fully retrieved from the web and exclusively produced by Māori takatāpui activists and/or containing Māori takatāpui activists’ self-narratives or claims.The corpus is analysed by applying a MMDA (Multimodal Discourse Analysis) framework based on Kress and van Leeuwen’s social semiotic framework (2006). The analysis is conducted also by taking into account Blommaert’s linguistic and ethnographic framework (2014).The findings of the analysis show the different strategies through which Māori identities are construed and conveyed reinforcing what the Māori scholar, Tuhiwai Smith (1999. Decolonizing Methodologies: Research and Indigenous Peoples. Dunedin: Zed Books Limited, 28), calls “a very powerful need to give testimony to and restore a spirit, to bring back into existence a world fragmenting and dying”.

Subverting superhero and meiga imaginaries in street art narrative Fenómenas do rural

2021 ◽  
pp. 136754942110032
Author(s):  
Beatriz Carbajal-Carrera
Keyword(s):  
Discourse Analysis ◽  
Street Art ◽  
Multimodal Discourse Analysis ◽  
Multimodal Discourse ◽  
Narrative Patterns

Heroic narratives are often biased towards a conceptualization of the rural/urban difference that positions rural identities at the margins. In particular, superhero stories have traditionally offered a vision of heroism assumed to be male, urban and young. How can post-rural contexts shaped by migration contest these narrative patterns? This article examines the street narrative of Fenómenas do rural, which recognizes older female rural identities and casts them as superheroines. Through a multimodal discourse analysis, I examine its contestation of heroic patterns, its recognition of older female rural identities and its creation of affiliation opportunities for the Galician community. I argue that this narrative stands as a reflection of the rurban (rural + urban) and the glocal (global + local) elements that subverts pre-existing canons in the superhero and the meiga (‘witch’) mythology imaginaries.

An empirical study on multimodal discourse analysis of college English teaching in the context of new media

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
Shuting Cao ◽  
Rui Chen ◽  
Haiyuan Liu ◽  
Ruolin Shi
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Discourse Analysis ◽  
New Media ◽  
Curriculum Reform ◽  
English Education ◽  
Ministry Of Education ◽  
College English ◽  
English Teaching ◽  
Multimodal Discourse Analysis ◽  
Multimodal Discourse

The main goal of college English education is to cultivate the students’ language ability of listening, speaking, reading and writing, and to promote the formation of individualized learning and autonomous ability of college students. At present, the new curriculum reform in our country has put forward a new educational requirement to college English teaching, which requires the innovation of college English teaching idea, and under the background of the development of new media, it proposes to use new media equipment to carry out teaching activities. However, college English education in our country is influenced by examination-oriented education mode, and the traditional education method is still used, which is not good for college students to improve their comprehensive quality of English. In view of this development situation, the Ministry of Education of China Based on the development of new media, a multimodal discourse analysis approach to college English education is proposed to enhance the level of College English teaching.

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