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Purposive Communication Chapter 3

Purposive Communication (Polytechnic University of the Philippines)

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CHAPTER 3
SIGNS MEANINGS:
A. Linguistic Landscape
 Ben-Rafael, et al.
- The things that you can usually see that do not
- Knowing where to draw the line
necessarily need words to express a thought is
between top down and bottom up is
called linguistic landscape.
not always easy.
o Examples: street names, billboards,
 2006; in Mooney & Evans, 2015
signage or even bills posted on walls
- Suggests that the signs on individual
and posts.
shops are bottom up as these allow for
 Signs can usually be identified on the basis of
personal choice in their composition
form of the signage or symbol.
and display. However, within the
context of the shop itself, they could be
regarded as top down.
 OFFICIAL SIGNS are produced with a TOP DOWN  Leeman & Modan (2009; in Mooney & Evans,
DISCOURSE. 2015)
- Argue that the distinction between top
down and bottom up signage practices
untenable in an era in which public-
private partnerships are the main
vehicle of urban revitalization initiatives
in urban centers in many parts of the
world, and when government policies
constrain public sector signage
practices.
 Mooney & Evans, 2015
 A signage in Britain which contains two - Said, id the distinction is thought of as a
languages; British and Welsh. Top down continuum whose orientation points
because it is an official request from an official may shift in different contects, it is
rule which you can attribute to the authority. helpful in understanding how signs are
constructed and consumed.

 SIGNS produced by an individual or group, but not

officially recognized has BOTTOM UP DISCOURSE.
The kind of signage and symbols
vary depending on culture for the
reason that each cultural
environment has different reading
practices. Some language are
written from left to right, top to
bottom, or the semantics, context
and structure of language is
different from one another.

 A sign made by an elementary student.

 Bottom up discourse because it is a personal
plea or request.

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B. Geosemiotics  If it labels things or directs for the

maintenance of a building or any
- Various elements used at a particular
infrastructure.
sign have meaning, and elements
3. Commercial
symbolic in the message they want to
 Which advertises or promotes a product,
convey.
an event, or a service in commerce
 Various features including
4. Transgressive
color, size, shape, and where
 If it violates (intentionally or accidentally)
the sign is placed.
the conventional semiotics or is in wrong
 IT IS A MODE OF ANALYZING SIGNS.
place, like a graffiti (in English, graffiti is
used both as a singular and plural noun.
In Italian, though, the singular form is
Scollon & Scollon, 2003; in Mooney & Evans, 2015
graffito).
- Geosemiotics the study of the social meaning of A graffiti may have varied meanings. The idea of
the material placement of signs in the world. By the people is to have a medium of public voice
signs we mean to include any semiotic system is shown in the production of graffiti. Graffiti is
including language and discourse. an unsanctioned urban text. Carrington, 2009;
o Example: Imagine a one-way sign in a in Mooney & Evans, 2015. This kind of
two-way street. Most drivers would transgressive discourse conveys power and
surely get confused because it does not control to the person or group behind the
related to the place where it is production of graffiti. Most of these graffiti
supposed to be. expresses a narrative outside the boundaries of
the conventional language.

Scollon & Scollon, 2003; in Mooney & Ecans, 2015

Note that language and placement
of signs are just two of semiotic - Defined a transgressive sign as one which
systems. Other things, like typeface intentionally or accidentally violates the
used, the color, images, and so on, conventional semiotics at that place such as a
also create and communicate discarded snack food wrapper or graffiti, or any
meaning. Because signs are so sign in wrong space.
varied across the linguistic
Carrington (2009; in Mooney & Evans, 2015) describes
landscape, you need to pay
graffiti as vernacular. We can also understand it in
attention to all these semiotic
relation to the bottom up scheme described above. As
choices of the maker
these signs are not top down, they allow the viewer to
see the contributions of other people to the built
environment.

Graffiti is a way for disempowered

people to make a visible mark, to
C. Kinds of Signs disrupt the landscape that is
increasingly occupied by the
Signs are divided into different kinds based on increasingly powerful. As argued by
contextual meaning and discourse, thus, a sign may be: linguists, a graffiti creates a
narrative and is a form of
1. Regulatory
participatory culture. The people
 If it indicates authority and is official or
who live in the space provide
legal prohibitions
evidence of their experiences, views
2. Infrastructural
and actions. In this sense, it is a
form of citizenship. It allows for the

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visibility of a hidden community and architectural styles, ways of doing things, icons,
permits this community to see itself jingles, and the link.
in this environment.

D. Online Landscapes
Netizens – an abstraction of the word Internet and Mooney & Evans, 2015
citizen. Netizens are metaphorically considered as the
citizens of the virtual world. - Memes are a striking example of extensive,
bottom up activity that changes the linguistic
Three of the media in this landscape are: landscape.
1. YouTube – cant be specifically be
considered as signs or symbols, YouTube
Memes embeds a lasting impression
video producers use symbols and signs,
to people who can relate to the
generally inclusive in the language used, to
meme. Replicability of the memes is
convey the message they want to express.
one of its best elements.
Lister, et al.; in Tolson, 2010; cited by Mooney & Evans,
2015 – While there is certainly some similarities Memes like blundered grammar and
between television and YouTube, it is has also been erroneous spelling and/or
described as being post-television. Some media punctuation, some are even
researchers believe that television differ from YouTube. culturally insensitive, gender/class
Television tends to be filmed and recorded from a insensitive, and/or politically
studio and is centered, while YouTube videos may be incorrect should NEVER be
recorded by people who have recording gadgets at patronized, especially by the
home which can be decentered. educated and critical.
2. Twitter – described by Mooney & Evans,
2015, as ubiquitous.
 Gillen & Merchant (2013; in Mooney &
Evans, 2015) refer to these choices of
terms of constructing a point of view.
 Mooney & Evans, 2015 – Therefore, in
dealing with and thinking about the
linguistic landscape, we are no longer just
thinking about signs, posters, billboards,
and notices.
3. Memes – Is a term given to any posts,
language or photo that has an uptake to a
social, moral, or political idea that most of
the time seems funny.

Knobel & Lankshear (2007; Mooney & Evans, 2015)

- Memes are contagious patterns of cultural

information that get passed from mind and
directly generate and shape the mindsets and
significant forms of behavior and actions of a
social group. Memes include such things as
popular tunes, catchphrases, clothing fashions,

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