By nature, any communicative action in human society is multimodal: language is only one of semiotic systems that we use to convey meaning. Cameron & Panovic (2014) are focusing on describing three different traditions of studying multimodal discourse analysis: semiological, pragmatic and systemic-functional approaches. Combined, these approaches provide a useful research framework for someone who would like to undertake a multimodal discourse analysis of their research object without prior exposure to the topic.

Cameron & Panovic start by describing a semiological approach which provides a fundamental understanding of a “science that studies the life of signs within society” (Saussure, 1915/1966) and sets out the foundational elements for analysis – the understanding of sign, which consists of signifiers (or one could say “markers”) and signified (concept behind those markers). What is interesting is that the connection between the “markers” and concepts behind them are in flux, as the society and its culture changes. Another author emphasizes this fact by saying that since “in real life relationships are arbitrary and change rapidly, one must be on one’s toes all the time” and in order to be able to correctly understand the situation at hand and draw the right meaning, we all have to be “practicing semioticians” in our day-to-day life (Berger, 2014). Being aware of the multiple semiotic systems and thinking critically about the implied meaning are thus applied skills in the arsenal of a good detective, as well as an academician.

The second approach highlights the importance of context contributing to the meaning of signs – since signs only acquire their meaning in relation to one other (through the difference of opposites), it is important to understand the world that they inhabit. The pragmatic approach offers a ‘relevance theory’, which “emphasizes that communication does not only rely on participants’ knowledge of a code or sign-system, but also depends on their ability to infer meanings which are not directly encoded in the message” (Cameron & Panovic, 2014). Such ability depends on the cultural background and understanding of social practices of participants, who are then better able to understand the intention of the message. Thus the pragmatic approach enriches and adds more complexity to the semiological approach of pure sign systems.

A systemic-functional approach is bringing the multimodal discourse analysis framework together by outlining three functions of any semiotic system: ideational, interpersonal and textual. The ideational function helps to understand the purpose of the message – narrative (depiction of actions or events) or conceptual (analytical purposes). Interpersonal function explores relationships between the sender, the addressee and the message itself, while textual function ensures the overall coherence of the message medium.

These three approaches to multimodal discourse analysis have their own strong aspects of focus which in combination provide probably an all-encompassing framework to conduct one’s own multimodal discourse analysis. Taking these three approaches together has helped me to shape my own research framework for the discourse analysis of urban neighborhoods, which beyond textual information, such as street signs, have multiple non-verbal semiotic systems that can convey meaning behind the life of the neighborhood. Cameron & Panovic describe one of such modes of analysis as the study of “linguistics landscapes”, which analyzes publicly visible language (road signs, advertising billboards, street names, etc.) and could tell more about local policy, ideologies, social practices. In my research project I hypothesize whether studying these local linguistic signs in combination with other non-verbal semiotic systems can yield understanding of factual information, such as demographic profile, or maybe even predict a population health profile of the neighborhood. For this purpose, different approaches within multimodal discourse analysis will help to paint perhaps a nearly complete semiotic landscape of a city neighborhood.

References:

• Cameron & Panovic. 2014. Multimodal discourse analysis, ch. 8 in Working with Written Discourse. Sage. 97-111.
• Cameron & Panovic. 2014. Multilingual discourse analysis, ch. 10 in Working with Written Discourse. Sage. 130-149.
• Berger. 2014. Signs in Contemporary Culture. An Introduction to Semiotics.