MULTIMODAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS

Question 1

MDA

Answer 1

Researchers in Multimodal Discourse Analysis have tried to extend principles of systemic functional grammar to provide a ‘grammar of visual design’ (Kress and van Leeuwen 2006)

Question 2

SIGN

Answer 2

• the signifier: the material form of something, a photograph of a cat
• the signified: the mental concept that is represented by the sign

Question 3

3 CATEGORIES OF SIGNS

Answer 3

• Icon: physical resemblance to what is being represented
• Index: suggests what is being represented indirectly
• Symbol: abstract, signifier has no resemblance to the signified

Question 4

TRANSITIVITY, SOCIAL ACTORS AND PROCESS TYPES

Answer 4

• Visio-grammar like lexico-grammar can represent social actors through activation or passivation
• In activation, participants are presented as engaged in some process – visually realised in ‘action shots’
• In passivation, participants are presented as being on the receiving end of some process
• As with agentless passive voice, in ‘documenting’ violence image producers can choose whether or not to include in the representation agents of the action
• As in language, social actors can be depicted as agents in different kinds of processes