Located in social semiotics (Hodge & Kress, 1988), theories of identity (Goffman, 1959; Holland, Lachicotte, Skinner, & Cain, 1998), and third space (Gutierrez, Baquedano, & Turner, 1997; Rowe & Leander, 2005), this dissertation presents the findings from a year long, field-based qualitative study with a high school class of nine Spanish for Native Speakers (SNS) students and their teacher. The study used an arts-infused multimodal curriculum exploring Spanish language texts and cultures from around the world. The following questions guided this study: (a) What factors were considered as the teacher and the researcher co-planned this arts-infused multimodal curriculum, and how did the consideration of those factors shape the curriculum?, (b) How did students enrolled in this SNS class negotiate meaning and identity as they worked within this class?, and (c) What discourses around students’ meaning making practices and identities emerged within their visual texts over time and across texts? Data sources included interviews, observations, student-generated visual texts, photographs from class sessions, student journals, and audio and videotapes of portions of class discussions and activities. Visual texts were coded for elements of visual design and apparent discourses with which the text-maker identifies (Albers, 2007b; Kress & van Leeuwen, 2006). Five themes emerged from the data: 1) The teacher participant and researcher co-created the curriculum using critical-care pedagogy; 2) Actual participation in and creation of visual and multimodal texts shaped the classroom community; (3) Negotiation and meaning making occurred through the flexible use of sign systems; 4) Participants worked through understandings of self; and 5) Personally relevant discourses emerged within individual and group texts. The study suggested that heritage language courses like this one can teach more than language. Such courses deserve attention as havens where students’ complex meaning making of themselves, their worlds, and their places in them are freely explored.

As companies discover the monetary benefits of a positive environmental image, a proliferation of green imaging confounds the public sphere. The consequence becomes the disarticulation of terms like environmental excellence, sustainable development, and minimum environmental harm. Because the oversaturation of greening efforts has elicited public distrust, stakeholders need timely and accurate information regarding environmental claims. As a major vehicle for communicating these efforts, corporate environmental reports (CERs) are laden with colorful and sublime images. This study examines the functionality of images found in CERs from 27 industry leaders, applying Sonja Foss’s tenets of visual rhetorical analysis to identify the nature and function of the images and offer an evaluation based on emergent themes. Because images are increasingly important to corporate transparency, the study concludes with several best practice recommendations to serve as ethical image design strategies and to reflect the ways companies address impactful operations.

With the unprecedented rise in the use of visuals, and its undeniable omnipresence in organizational contexts, as well as in the individual's everyday life, organization and management science has recently started to pay closer attention to the to date under-theorized "visual mode" of discourse and meaning construction. Building primarily on insights from the phenomenological tradition in organization theory and from social semiotics, this article sets out to consolidate previous scholarly efforts and to sketch a fertile future research agenda. After briefly exploring the workings of visuals, we introduce the methodological and theoretical "roots" of visual studies in a number of disciplines that have a long-standing tradition of incorporating the visual. We then continue by extensively reviewing work in the field of organization and management studies: More specifically, we present five distinct approaches to feature visuals in research designs and to include the visual dimension in scholarly inquiry. Subsequently, we outline, in some detail, promising avenues for future research, and close with a reflection on the impact of visualization on scientific practice itself. (authors' abstract)

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore what 4th-grade teachers could learn about African American students’ knowledge of social studies content through children’s drawings and to understand what they communicated through visual texts. This study was grounded in social semiotics and critical race theory (CRT). Social semiotics allowed for close readings of children’s drawings and interpretation of teachers’ interests in using art as an assessment tool. CRT challenges applying the experiences of White people as the standard by which others are measured. CRT was used to analyze structural barriers, such as high-stakes standardized testing, as primary in determining what students knew. Research questions were as follows: (a) When teachers are instructed in how to read images structurally and semantically, what do they learn about their low achieving African American students’ understanding of a social studies text through their drawings? (b) How do teachers understand and talk about images through the lens of sign systems? (c) How do low-achieving African American students demonstrate social studies content knowledge in a written assessment compared to how they demonstrate content knowledge in a visual representation of a social studies text? The setting was in an urban elementary school and the study involved 4 teachers and 7 students from their collective classes. Analysis of data included constant comparative analysis and visual discourse analysis (VDA), including student drawings and teacher/student interviews. Three findings emerged from teacher data analysis. Teachers varied in their beliefs about art as a communicative system; teachers intentionally studied their children’s visual texts differently after professional development; teachers intentionally integrated visual arts as a part of assessment in social studies. Two key findings emerged from student data analysis: Students visually represented key concepts in social studies in their visual texts and they found art to be a “fun” way to demonstrate social studies learning. The significance of this study offers insight into other communicative systems-art and specifically drawings—as a viable way to assess students’ knowledge and skills in content areas.

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Le dessin d’actualité est un dessin qui appartient au genre journalistique fonctionnant comme un éditorial visuel. Cependant, en tant qu’objet sémiotique, il n’a presque jamais reçu l’attention analytique qu’il mérite. Nous soutenons la thèse que le dessin d’actualité emploie un langage visuel particulier afin de partager son savoir. Pour illustrer notre thèse, nous avons utilisé les dessins d’actualité du magazine Jeune Afrique parus entre l’année 2000 et 2010. Notre hypothèse est que ces dessins « disent » quelque chose d’une manière particulière à propos de l’Afrique subsaharienne (AfSS). Selon les questions et objectifs de notre recherche, nous avons voulu faire connaitre la structure du langage du dessin d’actualité, les stratégies énonciatives qu’il emploie pour véhiculer son savoir, les sujets thématiques qu’il aborde et l’image de l’Afrique qu’il projette. Le dessin d’actualité dispose d’une structure syntaxique tabulaire composée de cinq unités, à savoir, la figure iconique, la figure plastique, l’unité temporelle, le paratexte et la parole. L’informateur dépose le savoir dans une ou plusieurs unités tout en employant des stratégies énonciatives appropriées et efficaces pour manipuler l’observateur cognitif à voir, à savoir et à croire à ce qu’il observe. L’étude du langage du dessin d’actualité a été inspirée des propositions théoriques du Groupe μ, (1992), Töpffer (cf. Gombrich, 1996), Genette (1987) entre autres. Les thèmes portant sur la pratique électorale, l’aide humanitaire, la guerre civile, la corruption financière et le portrait moral des dirigeants africains ont alimenté notre corpus. Quelle est donc l’image que les dessins d’actualité dans J.A. donnent de l’AfSS – de son territoire, ses peuples, leur situation, et leurs dirigeants ? Différentes propositions découlent des analyses du quatrième au neuvième chapitre. Il est ressorti que les dessins d’actualité dans J.A. racontent de petits récits fictifs qui ne reprennent pas les histoires de l’actualité mais s’en inspirent, les transposent et s’y réfèrent pour composer les leurs. Nous avons constaté que chaque dessin d’un sujet thématique donné s’enchaine chronologiquement au prochain qui pourrait être ou pas la production du même dessinateur. Si les dessins racontent de petits récits, nous pouvons imaginer chaque dessin comme une scène d’une pièce de théâtre et pour cela, chaque dessin caractérise ses personnages. L’informateur donne des rôles figuratifs et thématiques aux acteurs. Les acteurs sont des africains. Nous, les observateurs, sont assignés le rôle de spectateurs. Dans chaque scène, le dessinateur amène nos esprits dans les pays de l’AfSS pour « témoigner » avec lui de ce qui « se passe ». Cependant, les problèmes socio-économiques de l’AfSS sont présentés comme des géants par rapport aux « Africains ». En effet, l’opposition topologique des figures visuelles met en évidence une opposition des valeurs différentielles mettant ainsi l’AfSS dans une opposition qui la minimise et la dévalorise. Les dessins pointent les enjeux socio-économiques qui accablent la population civile. Et comme les problèmes nécessitent une intervention, il se fait que cette intervention provienne de l’étranger. Pendant ce temps de souffrance pour les civils, les hauts fonctionnaires s’engageant dans des pratiques de l’impunité financière, racontent les dessins. Les présidents africains, quant à eux, ne pensent qu’à s’éterniser au pouvoir. Ainsi, selon les dessins, ils vont chercher tous les moyens pour mener à bien leur objectif. Les dessinateurs emploient des stratégies énonciatives pour se moquer de la situation africaine peinte par les dessins. Enfin, il n’y a pas une seule image mais des images sombres de l’AfSS issues d’histoires fictives qui s’inspirent de l’actualité. Images sombres parce que le dessin d’actualité est un outil de critique plutôt que d’éloge. / A caricature is a drawing which belongs to the journalistic genre of comments functioning as a visual editorial. However, as a semiotic object, it has never received the analytical attention it deserves. The thesis that we are defending supports the idea that caricatures use a particular visual language distinct from other images to relay their message. To illustrate our thesis, we used caricatures published between 2000 and 2010 in the news magazine Jeune Afrique. We started from the hypothesis that these caricatures "say" something about sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) in a certain way. According to the questions and objectives of our research, we sought to know the structure of the language of the caricature, the discourse strategies the caricatures employed to convey their message, the thematic issues they addressed and the image of SSA they portrayed. As a semiotic object, the caricature has a tabular syntactic structure composed of five components, namely the iconic figure, the plastic figure, the temporal component, paratexts and speech. The informant (cartoonist) chooses to deposit messages in one or more of these syntactic units while using appropriate and effective discourse strategies to manipulate the cognitive observer to see, know and believe in what he observes. To find the structure of the language of caricatures, we were inspired by several theoretical proposals of Group μ (1992), Töpffer (quoted by Gombrich, 1996), Genette (1987), among others. Several themes emerged, but those on electoral practices, humanitarian aid, civil war, financial corruption and moral portrait of African leaders were used as a sample. So what is the image that the caricatures in J.A. give about SSA - its territory, its people, their situation, and their leaders? Various proposals came forth from the analysis in chapters four to nine. First, it emerged that the caricatures in J.A. tell small tales that are distinct from media stories though they get inspired by them, transpose them and refer to them in order to compose their own stories. We found that each caricature from a given thematic subject chronologically fits into the next even if they are productions of different cartoonists. If the caricatures form small stories in form of plays, we can imagine each caricature as a scene and for that, each caricature characterizes its actors. The cartoonist invents a story and gives figurative and thematic roles to the actors. These actors are Africans and we, the observers, are assigned the role of spectators. In each scene, the cartoonist “takes” our minds in African countries in order to "witness" together with him what "happens" there. However, the socio-economic problems of SSA are presented as “giants” compared to "Africans". Indeed, the visual topological oppositions of visual figures reveal an opposition of differential values thus putting SSA in a position which minimizes and devalues it. The caricatures point out the problems of famine, drought, disease, corruption, war etc. that plague the civilian population. And as the problems require intervention, it happens that this intervention comes from elsewhere rather than from Africa. During this time of suffering for civilians, high civil servants are shown as engaging in financial impunity practices, seems to say the caricatures. African presidents, meanwhile, are portrayed as those that only think of staying in power. Thus, according to the cartoons, they are always focusing on looking for any means by which to remain in power. Cartoonists employ all kinds of discourse strategies to make fun of the african situation. Finally, not just one, but several bleak images of SSA emerge from the caricatures of J.A. Bleak images because a caricature is a tool for critic rather than praise. Yet, these little stories are fictional even if they are inspired by current events as told by the media.

This study focuses on analysing Mexican children’s representations of death inasmuch as children are perceived as social actors that have an active role in constructing and giving meaning to social reality. The importance of analysing children’s representations about death is that it provides an opportunity to know how children give meaning to a notion that intersects with personal experiences, emotions, religious beliefs, and a sociocultural context. Therefore, the aim of this study is to analyse, visually and verbally, the ways in which children - from 8 to 9 years of age - in a Mexican primary school represent their understanding of death through their drawings and their oral descriptions of them, which may unveil their opinions on the subject. The research material consists of the drawings and interviews of primary school children in Mexico. The girls and boys, who were in third grade, were selected from a school population based on a convenience sampling (Bryman 2016, p.187). The method of analysis is a combination of thematic analysis and Rose’s visual discourse analysis I. The main findings are that the participants represented their understanding of death in terms of realistic, fantastic and afterlife narratives according to their experiences. Most of the participants’ visions of death were represented with archetypal symbols of death, such as death personified. Contrary, the representations of the few participants who had a personal loss were realistic, except for one of them. In this sense, children’s representations of death draw on discourses imbued in visual media, religion, morality, and culture. Children's emotions about death varied according to their experiences, although most participants said that they do not fear death. Regarding life after death, most participants recognize a duality between body and soul. While the body dies, the soul lives and the place where the soul goes was perceived mainly in moralistic terms.

The schoolhouse is a place in which messages for student consumption are typically found with classroom lectures, text, and activities. As with any social setting, however, the communication is not confined to one space but extends, in this case, to hallways, common spaces, and exterior of the building. One of the most common practices for the delivery of messages to students within the schoolhouse is through visual signage. Visual signage can traverse disciplines encompassing concepts from the fields of communication, semiotics, language, literacy, and even interior design. In an effort to understand the impact these signs have on student populations this dissertation asks the question: How are signs within public high schools produced, consumed, and influential to persons in contact with intended messages that are presented in public school spaces? The study utilizes ethnography to describe the production, consumption, and influence of fixed signs in the interior hallways and common spaces at three public high schools in Texas. At each campus, student volunteers, one from each grade level, provided their individual course schedule to follow their daily route from class to class at their particular high school. Post these observations these students engaged in focus groups to discuss the various signs displayed on their campus. In addition, faculty/staff members from each high school volunteered to participate in a separate faculty/staff focus group to discuss the use of signage in schools and the observations made by both the students and myself during the observations. The data suggest that district directives and social happenings guide the production of messages for each campus. The consumption and influence of these messages though is far more complex as a variety of factors contributed to the student and faculty/staff consumption, or lack thereof, and influence to action. As ethnography, this dissertation sheds light onto these complexities revealing that a host of external and internal issues dictate the messages displayed through school signage within the individual schoolhouse.

Representation, process, experience: (post)industrial landscape in anthropological-geographical perspective Abstract The main topic of the dissertation is the (post)industrial landscape of what is today the Czech Republic. In particular, the dissertation presents three case studies of three (post)industrial landscapes: that of Ostrava, Kladno and Most. The aim of the dissertation is twofold - thematic as well as theoretical. As far as the thematic focus of the dissertation goes, the author employs the concept of landscape as a prism through which it is possible to explore large societal shifts and changes as they are mirrored in landscape. The question is what has happened to industrial landscape after the fall of socialism and how industrial landscape has turned into what it is now. On the theoretical level, the (post)industrial landscape of contemporary Czechia is used as a means of exploring the complexity of the concept of landscape and developing a conceptualization of landscape that comes to terms with its complexity, ambiguity and elusiveness. In terms of theory, the dissertation engages with three ways of conceptualising landscape prevalent in contemporary anthropology and (new cultural) geography: landscape as representation, process and experience. To explore them in depth and reveal any...

Representation, process, experience: (post)industrial landscape in anthropological-geographical perspective Abstract The main topic of the dissertation is the (post)industrial landscape of what is today the Czech Republic. In particular, the dissertation presents three case studies of three (post)industrial landscapes: that of Ostrava, Kladno and Most. The aim of the dissertation is twofold - thematic as well as theoretical. As far as the thematic focus of the dissertation goes, the author employs the concept of landscape as a prism through which it is possible to explore large societal shifts and changes as they are mirrored in landscape. The question is what has happened to industrial landscape after the fall of socialism and how industrial landscape has turned into what it is now. On the theoretical level, the (post)industrial landscape of contemporary Czechia is used as a means of exploring the complexity of the concept of landscape and developing a conceptualization of landscape that comes to terms with its complexity, ambiguity and elusiveness. In terms of theory, the dissertation engages with three ways of conceptualising landscape prevalent in contemporary anthropology and (new cultural) geography: landscape as representation, process and experience. To explore them in depth and reveal any...