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Multimodal articulations of identity in social media:
Empirical evidence from Facebookfrom Facebook
Dr Mariza GeorgalouLancaster University
www.marizageorgalou.com
1st International Conference on Approaches to Digital Discourse Analysis (ADDA)
University of Valencia, Spain • November 18-20, 2015
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Agenda � Aim of study
� Set up of study
� Multimodality
� Multimodality on FB: images +music
– validating experience– making ‘safe’ statements– complementing messages
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� Concluding remarks
– making ‘safe’ statements– complementing messages – suggesting analogies– showing alignment– reconstructing memories– evaluating situations– relaying covert messages
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Aim of the study
� Discursive construction of identity
within Facebook – Greek users
− How do users construct themselves?
− How do Facebook friends co-construct
them?
What kind of textual practices do users − What kind of textual practices do users
adopt in crafting meaningful identities?
−How does multimodality contribute
to these identity constructions?
3(Georgalou 2014)
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Hypothesis � Meaning via a multimodal ensemble of modes
� crucial for self-presentation on Facebook
� Communication integrated into visually
organised environments
� Verbal exchanges � more fragmented + reliant on multimodal context
Wide range of modes� Wide range of modes
� New inter-semiotic relationships
� Unsettling + re-making of genres
� Reshaping of practices, interaction, identities
(boyd & Heer 2006; Androutsopoulos 2011; Barton &
Lee 2013; Jewitt 2013)4
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Tools� Constructionist approach to identity
�
� Mix of discourse analytical methods
– textual analysis
Discourse = means of identity construction
– textual analysis
– computer-mediated discourse analysis
– multimodal discourse analysis
� Discourse-centred online ethnography:
– screen dimension (observation)
– participant dimension (engagement)
(Androutsopoulos 2008)5
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Participants & data
Participants* Demographics
Carlaborn 1975; translator of Latin
American literature; Athens
Alkisborn 1981; real estate agent;
Athens
Helen
born 1979; lecturer in Linguistics
+ EAP tutor; Athens & UK for 2
� FB profile information
� Status updates
� CommentsHelen + EAP tutor; Athens & UK for 2
months / year
Romanos born 1989; IT support; Athens
Gabriel
born 1990; European Studies &
International Economics student;
Athens; USA6
� Comments
� Video & article links
� Photos
� Interview excerpts
� Field notes
� Informants’ comments on
analysis
May 2010 – April 2013*All names are pseudonyms.
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Identity in the study
identity
stance
placeprivacy
identity
time
profession
education
Categories
derived from data
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Multimodality � Co-existence of resources from more than
one semiotic mode in digital content itself
(written language, audio, images, videos)
(Androutsopoulos 2013)
①①①① images users shot themselves
②②②② images they found in Internet
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②②②② images they found in Internet
③③③③music videos
� What users do, communicate, achieve by
sharing certain images + songs.
� What the implications are for their
identity construction.
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Validating experience
User-shot images
� Performative exercise of id
Being at particular places,
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� Being at particular places,
experiencing particular
moments (Mendelson &
Papacharissi 2010)
� Placement action (Jaworski & Thurlow 2009)
without necessarily posing.
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Making ‘safe’ statements
I want to give my own version of
User-shot images
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Translation: solidarity of workers –
banks’ wealth belongs to us –
nationalisation without compensation
I want to give my own version of
an event to report on an event in
my own way without making an
explicit political comment
generally I’m careful with that
Helen
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Complementing messages
� Intermodal complementarity
Me very happy after so many wishes!
User-shot images
Gabriel
� Metafunctions + affordances
of each modality commit to
creation of meaning(Painter & Martin 2011)
� Complement visually force
of verbal message. 11
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Suggesting analogies
Internet images
i think that all of us are somehow like this….
i can’t i’m booooooored!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Alkis’s profile pic
Alkis’s profile pic
Collective graduate student identity
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Showing alignment
Internet images
Translation: It’s great fortune
to be born Greek and it’s great
fortune to die [being] Greek!...
The in-between, however, is
great misfortune!13
Comic strip shared by Romanos
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Reconstructing memories14
Music
What a beautiful track and what a beautiful series!! ☺
Alkis
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Reconstructing memories II
FBU1: What is Herbert Viola doing?
Alkis: Hahahahhahaa!! I DON’T believe
it!!! P.S. I hope he has his hair
cut! lol
Music
FBU1*
Alkis
cut! lol
FBU2: ahhhhhhhhhhh our youth!
FBU3: Indeed!! Well done Alkis!!
FBU4: yes you’re doing such things
and we realise how much we
have…matured!!!15
FBU2
FBU3
FBU4
*FBU = Facebook User
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Evaluating a situation
♪♫ Μου λεν να πάω κρυφά κάπου να κλάψω
και να θυμάμαι πως αυτό το σκηνικό
είμαι μικρός, πολύ μικρός για να τ' αλλάξω.
Μα εγώ μ’ ένα άγριο περήφανο χορό
σαν αετός πάνω απ' τις λύπες θα πετάξω.
σιγά μην κλάψω, σιγά μη φοβηθώ.
Helen
Music
σιγά μην κλάψω, σιγά μη φοβηθώ.
They tell me to go somewhere to cry secretly.
And I should remember that this scenery
I am small, too small to change.
But I, with a wild proud dance,
Will fly like an eagle over the sorrows.
I won’t cry, I won’t fear. ♪♫ 16
Helen
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Relaying covert messages
Music
[A lyric] may be a “secret” message
Carla
Carla
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[A lyric] may be a “secret” message
for a friend (however this is only my
intent and the recipient may not get
the message sometimes... ;-)
Carla
Social steganography (boyd & Marwick 2011)
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Conclusion � Research to date:
– not dealt with the topic in depth (cf. Page 2012; Herring 2013)
– mere tokens of self-presentation
� Role + functionality of multimodality +
implications for identity.
� Semiotics of images (self-shot + from Internet) � Semiotics of images (self-shot + from Internet)
+ music posts (comments + lyrics)
①①①① Forceful, convincing, creative, indirect articulation of identity.
②②②② Spectacle (visual, aural) � unforeseen interactions + collaborative identity
constructions.18
© Konstantinos Kanellopoulos
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Thank you!¡Gracias!¡Gracias!Gràcies!
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References
Androutsopoulos, J. (2008). Potentials and limitations of discourse-centered online ethnography.
Language@Internet 5, 8.
Androutsopoulos, J. (2011). From variation to heteroglossia in the study of computer-mediated discourse.
In C. Thurlow and K. Mroczek (eds.) Digital discourse: Language in the new media. New York: Oxford
University Press. 277–298.
Androutsopoulos, J. (2013). Online data collection. In C. Mallinson, B. Childs and G. V. Herk (eds.) Data
collection in sociolinguistics: Methods and applications. London: Routledge. 236–249.
Barton, D. and Lee, C. (2013). Language online: Investigating digital texts and practices. London: Routledge.
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Barton, D. and Lee, C. (2013). Language online: Investigating digital texts and practices. London: Routledge.
boyd, d. and Heer, J. (2006). Profiles as conversation: Networked identity performance on Friendster.
Proceedings of the Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS-39), Persistent
Conversation Track. Kauai, HI: IEEE Computer Society. Retrieved from:
<http://www.danah.org/papers/HICSS2006.pdf> (accessed 12 June 2015).
boyd, d. and Marwick, A. (2011). Social privacy in networked publics: Teens’ attitudes, practices, and
strategies. Paper presented at the Oxford Inter-net Institute Decade in Internet Time Symposium, 22
September 2011. Retrieved from: <http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1925128>
(accessed 6 May 2015).
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References II
Georgalou, M. (2014). Constructions of identity on Facebook: A discourse-centred online ethnographic
study of Greek users. Doctoral dissertation. Lancaster University, UK.
Herring, S. C. (2013). Discourse in Web 2.0: Familiar, reconfigured, and emergent. In D. Tannen and A. M.
Trester (eds.) Discourse 2.0: Language and new media. Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press.
1–25.
Jaworski, A. and Thurlow, C. (2009). Gesture and movement in tourist spaces. In The Routledge Handbook
of Multimodal Analysis, C. Jewitt, Ed. London / New York: Routledge. 253-262.
Jewitt, C. (2013). Multimodal methods for researching digital technologies. In S. Price, C. Jewitt and B.
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Jewitt, C. (2013). Multimodal methods for researching digital technologies. In S. Price, C. Jewitt and B.
Brown (eds.) The Sage handbook of digital technology research. Los Angeles: Sage. 250–265.
Mendelson, A. and Papacharissi, Z. (2010). Look at us: Collective narcissism in college student Facebook
photo galleries. In Z. Papacharissi (ed.) A networked self: Identity, community and culture on social
network sites. New York: Routledge. 251–273.
Page, R. (2012). Stories and social media: Identities and interaction. London: Routledge.
Painter, C. and Martin, J. (2011). Intermodal complementarity: Modelling affordances across image and
verbiage in children’s picture books. In H. G. Wen (ed.) Studies in functional linguistics and discourse
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Image sources
Slide 2: Agenda (http://wersm.com/)
Slide 3: Facebook & Greece, © extend graphics (http://visual.ly/facebook-use-greece)
Slide 4: You are here (http://pixel.brit.co/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/5-youarehere.jpg)Slide 4: You are here (http://pixel.brit.co/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/5-youarehere.jpg)
Slide 5: Tools © bali_ayu (https://instagram.com/p/6GXXS8nXLX/)
Slide 8: Vintage camera © MonsterGallery
(https://img0.etsystatic.com/000/0/5148979/il_570xN.52869580.jpg)
Retro tapes (http://www.printawallpaper.com/detail/music/retro-tapes)
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