Band 2016, Heft 210 -

This article explores the contribution made by anthropological-semiotics of rhythm when it comes to comprehending visual modernity of East Asia, with a particular focus on China’s experience. From the humanistic foundations of rhythm including cultural anthropological perspectives, traditions of rhythmanalysis, and semiotic thinking of rhythm, this paper demonstrates the construction of a semiotic square of rhythm along with a topology of rhythmia; then provides a case study of rhythmanalysis surrounding the emergence of the first Chinese feature animated film entitled Princess Iron Fan ; and ultimately presents the potential of establishing the multiplicity of modernities based on the transdisciplinary examination of rhythm in visual cultures of East Asia.

This inquiry first identifies signs whose representamen are inherently visuo-spatial (namely, Index) supplying rationale for dicisign status, then demonstrates how such results in difficulties without visual access. Virtually all of Peirce’s illustrations of Index surface in the visual modality: weathercock, clock hands (1903: EP 2: 274), pointing finger, smoke. Experimental findings from blind and sighted children suggest the less effective nature of semiotic alternatives to visual indexes (tactual landmarks), to disambiguate objects in other modalities. In short, delays in use of index leave blind children vulnerable to protracted means to individuate, and ultimately to reduced participation in joint attentional ventures.

To the extent that “runaway slave” and “free slave” express the same content, yet one is readily understood and the other is not, the difference exposes a cultural blindness to some of the outdated ways in which oppressive language still operates. This article processes the expression “runaway slave” through several semiotic models to examine its structural incoherence and then explores the ways in which it is paradoxically understood, even so, as functions of racist cognitive frames issuing from white investments in the language. By exposing how the expression presents interdisciplinary issues, the article thereby advances an argument against its unexamined use and proposes an alternative.

This paper presents a model of size and shape depiction in the manual modality, based on a micro-level analysis of the lexicon of Adamorobe Sign Language (Ghana). The model combines strong elements of previous models, such as a dyadic labeling system separating form and meaning as suggested in Taub (2001, Language from the body: Iconicity and metaphor in American Sign Language . Cambridge: Cambridge University Press), and the category of distance for size (Sowa and Wachsmuth 2003, Coverbal iconic gestures for object descriptions in virtual environments: An empirical study. In M. Rector, I. Poggi & N. Trigo (eds.), Gestures: Meaning and use, 365–376. Porto: Edicous Universidade Fernando Pessoa). It systematically describes depiction at the parameter level, viewing size and shape depiction as compositional in nature. The model is innovative in distinguishing two main categories for the expression of size and shape, i. e., shape for shape depiction, and distance for size depiction. The role of movement is seen as secondary to these two categories, and either signals extent (when combined with shape for shape depiction) or a change in it (when combined with distance for size depiction). Applying the model to a set of lexical data of Adamorobe Sign Language revealed the need for a new sub-category for distance for size depiction, i. e., of body-based distance for size depiction as found in so-called measure stick signs. Parameter-level analysis is indispensable for cross-linguistic comparisons. To this end, frequency data are presented as well.

The visual social semiotic approach, based on Halliday’s systemic functional linguistics (SFL), is widely used in studies on multimodal texts. As SFL is a framework focusing on the functions of language, several SFL categories are re-conceptualized in visual social semiotics to handle the analysis and interplay of extra-linguistic features; other categories, however, are excluded. A consequence is that any insights offered by these excluded categories in multimodal texts remain obscured. This paper focused on one such category, theme, as a generator of expectations. It analyzed the thematic structure of twenty homepages to show that the different SFL themes are applicable and evident in such multimodal texts. It underscores the importance of theme as a point of departure of any discourse, textual or otherwise, allowing us to form expectations about how the rest of the discourse may be acceptably developed.

This paper revisits a particular area of concern in computer generated (CG) visual effects, namely, the problem of the space in dynamic, multiple panels created by digital processes. The paper critiques recent statements made on narrative understanding, positing equivalences between a viewer’s navigation across dynamic frames in CG images and human-computer interactions, as well as claims of narrative complexity in films using dynamic frames. This paper will argue that it is necessary to approach the meaning construction of cinematic space by distinguishing analytical levels of materiality from their discursive meaning, because the visual effect created by the manipulation of a dynamic spatial layout does not necessarily burden the viewer’s linear path for constructing coherent spatial meaning.

From the standpoint of Modeling Systems Theory formulated by Thomas Sebeok and Marcel Danesi in 2000, the reason why a fictional narrative can be rightly considered outstanding and appreciated by different generations of readers/viewers is not just because it has depicted “typical characters in typical contexts,” but more often because the text itself, understood in the Sebeokian sense as a composite modeling strategy, has achieved relatively higher degrees of fullness in creating these characters as models. As a further result, it has developed a pluralistic space for interpretation and fulfilled the truthful reflection of shared human emotion. To this end, the text needs to adopt a unique way of representation in creating characters, to wit, “anti-identity construction.” It is different from “defamiliarization” in that it is not to deliberately pursue a sort of formal or structural strangeness; on the contrary, it is only to seek to represent human experiences with high-level fidelity, as well as their global restoration, and to construct a “panorama” with innovative perspectives, thus demolishing stereotypical models people form in their minds. In essence, it is a return to dynamic Umwelten, capable of facilitating the pluralistic meaning generation and the ultimate semiosic reflection of shared human emotion.

Sign involves a relation between two correlatives established essentially by an act of mental associating. An adequate theory of sign should regard sign as a process based on such an act. A theory of intentional sign thus formed may serve as an example of the approach to such a theory. Every intentional sign process involves five basic factors and multiple stages, whose variation results in various types of processes. Processes of the same sign-vehicle form an autonomous system covering most basic topics of semiotics. Process systems of different sign-vehicles are interconnected via relation between the sign-vehicles, forming a system of systems generally called “sign system.” This theory may be further expanded into a fuller framework.

The paper discusses two approaches to defining internal, external, and zero-focalization. According to the first approach, the three types of focalization are defined in terms of a relation of a character’s knowledge to the narrator’s report. We argue that the definitions based on this approach are seriously flawed. According to the second approach, whether a narrative is internally, externally or zero-focalized depends on how the information that the reader gets about the fictional world is constrained. We discuss some ways of rendering these definitions more precise, and we point to a remaining problem of the definitions.

In this paper, the dyadic concept of zero sign in general linguistics is transformed into a triadic concept of zero sign in visual semiotics. A formal duality relation is defined between two types of visual zero sign. It is argued that the common experience of failure to perceive visual zero signs may be due to either inattention of the interpreter or camouflage of the object of the sign. We conclude that dual zero signs act as detectors in visual semiotics.

In this paper, the basic concepts of Peircean semiotics are derived from visual experience by the process of conceptual embodiment. We begin with embodiment of the universal Categories of Being that are accessible to thought or the universal Categories of Thought, which Charles S. Peirce defined and termed Firstness, Secondness, and Thirdness. On this basis, we demonstrate conceptual embodiments of the Peircean typologies of dyadic relations, triadic relations and representations. The phenomenology of visual perception is modeled as a triadic typology of embodied mental processes which we term detection, localization and identification. Based upon the pioneering work of Lakoff and Johnson, we examine the role of visual embodiment in concept formation as inferred from linguistic expressions. We conclude that certain fundamental physical and relational concepts may be regarded as the embodied interpretants of visual signs.

This article explores ways in which the human nervous system encodes and decodes palm-up gestural signs, signals, and cues. Palm-up gestures and their accompanying speech acts evolved from an ancient neurological system that gave rise to both gestural (pectoral) communication and vocal (laryngeal) language (Bass and Chagnaud 2013, Shared developmental and evolutionary origins for neural basis of vocal–acoustic and pectoral–gestural signaling. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 109. 10677–10684.). Meanings of palm-up cues are multifaceted and nuanced, and express degrees of emotional helplessness, cognitive uncertainty, prosodic emphasis, and social deference. By themselves or in combination with other hand movements – such as reaching, showing, and pointing – palm-up cues are used to begin speaking turns, ask questions, request favors, and share personal opinions, feelings, and moods. The palm-up hand movement is a possibly universal signal of deference, in Erving Goffman’s (1956, The nature of deference and demeanor. American Anthropologist 58(3). 473–502.) sense of the term, not unlike other deferential body-motion cues such as the anjai mudra, bow, curtsy, genuflection, kowtow, namaste, poussi-poussi, pranama, sampeah, and wai.

Baumeister and Leary’s (1995) seminal work on the “Belonging Hypothesis” proposed an important theory that catalyzed an abundance of research predicated on the hypothesized essential need for humans to establish and preserve interpersonal relationships. However, this premise cannot fully explain certain human phenomena that have historically occurred, and still continue to occur today, including the existence of psychopathology, self-selected seclusion, and unrequited love. Thus, the need to belong is unlikely to be a vital motivation capable of encompassing the needs of all human beings. Instead, this paper proposes the need to meaningfully matter, or, to find meaning within one’s life, regardless of one’s relation to others, as a primary motivation from which the need to belong emerges.

This review discusses the major contributions of David Boromisza-Habashi’s (2013) book, Speaking hatefully: Culture, communication, and political action in Hungary to the study of hate speech, public discourse, and ways in which culture makes both meaningful. In particular, this review describes how Boromisza-Habashi’s book makes novel claims about a commonly employed communication practice, hate speech, by treating the Hungarian political context as a cultural context and the political discourse that populates this context as cultural discourse. Although the book offers many contributions to diverse interests and literatures, this review names the author’s discussion of context, key symbol analysis, and offer of counsel as the book’s most compelling contributions. Additionally, this review offers a brief critique of the book, calling for more details about the “authoring unity” solution proposed to unify opposing parties in the hate speech debates. Ultimately, this review highlights the exceptional quality of the book and its potential utility for EC and public discourse scholars.

Aiming to underline the link between storytelling content and ritual structure and to show how the building of community constitutes the meta-theme of storytelling in general and film narrative in particular, L. A. Alexander explores the notion of symbolic community and provides a detailed account of narrative (film) genres in terms of three parameters–their origin in a basic ritual, the cultural need they address, and the cultural function they fulfill–as well as sets of rules for the successful creation of fictional worlds. Though it does not pay much attention to such important narrational elements as distance, speed, and point of view, Alexander’s exploration sheds decisive light on the foundations, characteristics, and possibilities of fictional worlds represented in (film) narratives.