996013 “Making meaning”: a social semiotic multimodal frame for research in the Humanities and Social Sciences. (BS) (WiSe 2015/2016)

The course will introduce the outline of a theoretical frame which, relying on the willingness on the part of participants to “translate”, might connect with their research interests in significant ways. The theoretical frame is that of Social Semiotics, with two central notions: 1 agency – that is, social agents constantly engaged in themaking and remaking of meaning; and 2, the multiple modes they use in making meanings in (inter-)action, in social environments marked by power.

No prior knowledge of Social Semiotics is assumed for the course. The presentation, outline and initial use of the theoretical framework will be based on examples of research of different kinds. This will include the ‘usual’ textual entities / phenomena / objects as materials but will go well beyond these to include three and four dimensional materials: practices, people, objects and their inter-relations. The course aims to make it possible for participants to connect their own questions, whether as early ideas or as research questions with the topics introduced over the two-day workshop. The approach throughout will be to encourage discussion based on participants’ own questions: their research, their problems, their interests.

Two articles will be made available as pre-reading for the course. A larger bibliography will be presented for participants in the course.