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This study aims to examine how the Swedish government owned gambling company Svenska Spel constructs ideas of winning, thrills and rewards through semiotic resources in televised commercials. Furthermore, this study investigates how the construction of winning, thrills and rewards relates to the gambling law's requirement for moderation. The theoretical frameworks used in this study are social semiotics and neoliberalism and the practiced method is a multimodal discourse analysis. This study´s material consists of three commercials from three different gambling services all owned by Svenska Spel which are Bilen (eng. tr. The Car) produced by Keno, Kontoret (eng. tr. The Office) produced by Triss, and Drömhuset (eng. tr. The Dream House) produced by Lotto. The results show that all commercials contain elements of winning, thrills and rewards that allude to “a good life” through themes of luxury, freedom, class, power, misery and warnings. The results also indicate that the commercials in some ways violate limits related to the gambling law’s requirements for moderation.

With the development and renovation of digital information technology, images, sounds, animations, colors and other models are integrated into one system to convey information. Multimodality is also applied in language research. One example of multimodal discourse are tourism video commercials, which combine written, visual and auditory signals to construct the metaphorical meaning of advertisements. Therefore, this paper selects six pieces of German and Chinese tourism video commercials as objects, which are parsed, transcribed and annotated by ELAN 5.1. Both quantitative and qualitative approaches are adopted to analyze the selected corpus. The theoretical framework for this study is Systemic-Functional Grammar and Visual Grammar, and it aims to explore the similarities and differences in the fusion of multimodal features between German and Chinese tourism video advertisements by comparative analysis.

While the inclusion of gay and lesbian individuals in the media is not a recent phenomenon, the increased representation of families headed by gay and lesbian couples is somewhat new. Research has shown that mediatized representations of gay and lesbian individuals and couples more often than not adhere to stereotypes and perpetuate ideas that the constructors of these representations want their audiences to consume. Research has also focused on audiences’ reception and processing of the messages that these representations may carry. This study, instead, focuses on the construction of representations of gay and lesbian couples and their families, bringing to the forefront the importance of discursive practices that are used to construct visual, linguistic, and aural elements of the media consumed by audiences. Looking specifically at advertisements (both for and against) concerning California’s Proposition 8, a ballot measure proposing to ban same-sex marriages, this study shows how elements of the composition of the advertisements coalesce and mutually enhance each other to create particular understandings of gay and lesbian families. Using Critical Discourse Analysis and Social Semiotics, this study uncovers the underlying ideologies that inform the discursive and semiotic choices that have been made. Together, the music, the visuals, and the language are formed into a coherent whole, the advertisement. This thesis argues that how gay and lesbian people are represented is equally as important as the overt messages that are being disseminated to the audiences. By studying the discursive practices utilized by these advertisements, we are able to see that ideologies of idealistic family life and heterosexual relationships influence both advertisements in their characterisation of gay and lesbian couples and their respective families. / Graduate / 0626 / 0628 / df.tabangcura@gmail.com

The aim of this thesis is to shed light on the handbook as a multimodal resource from a reader perspective, with the material consisting of 32 Swedish handbooks on gardening from 1643 to 2005. The study draws theoretically on social semiotics and multimodal discourse analysis, as well as dialogism. There is an emphasis on the addressivity of the text, which is taken as a starting point for tracing signs of the intended text use in the design of the texts. The analysis is meaning-based, with the focus placed on functional features in the design of the texts. The first part of the study considers the reading goals afforded by the thematizations conveyed in titles, headings and text type patterns. The core function of these texts turns out to be action orientation, although the more recent books often include sections oriented towards other goals, like shaping individual aesthetic taste. The second part illustrates how the multimodal cohesive patterns in the books afford non-linear reading paths and make the texts searchable, which is enhanced by the presence of devices such as indices and tables of contents. Concentrating on six of the books, the third part of the study maps out the role of the reader that is naturalized by the design of the text, drawing on appraisal theory, and shows the strong, authoritative role taken by the authorial voice. The evaluative patterns naturalize a fact-seeking reading. However, the most recent book, from 1996, emphasizes emotions to a greater extent, naturalizing a parallel reading that invokes sensory experience. The conclusion drawn is that the core characteristics of the handbooks are action orientation, searchability and factuality. As different parallel functions in recent books are discerned, a tendency towards diversity and multifunctionality is described. The range of semiotic resources has also expanded, it is noted, and there is growing support for the view of a tendency towards the visualisation of written texts.

The marine conservation organization Sea Shepherd is most known for its radical direct action, e. g., against whale poaching. This thesis examines the campaign “Operation Dolphin Bycatch,” coordinated by the French branch of the NGO, through discourse analysis and interviews with Sea Shepherd France (SSF) members. Dolphins serve as the flagship species of the campaign. They allow SSF to criticize non-selective fishing methods that cause the accidental killing of dolphins in the Bay of Biscay. With expressions from war and religion, SSF portrays the French government and most fishermen as enemies of the dolphins’ wellbeing that pursue self-interested profit values. It is found that SSF positions itself as radical more in its worldview than its approaches. The ecological philosophy of biocentrism contradicts the anthropocentrism that dominates society. In this campaign, the NGO uses “outsider” tactics: It exerts pressure on French policy-makers with footage of dolphin bycatch and takes great care to maintain international legitimacy by staying within legal boundaries. / L’organisation de conservation du milieu marin Sea Shepherd est surtout connue pour ses méthodes d’action directe radicale, par exemple contre le braconnage des baleines. Ce mémoire de master examine la campagne « Opération Dolphin Bycatch », qui est coordonnée par la branche française de l’ONG, à travers une analyse multimodale du discours et des entretiens avec des bénévoles de Sea Shepherd France (SSF). Les dauphins sont l’espèce porte-drapeau de la campagne. Ils permettent ainsi à SSF de critiquer les méthodes de pêche non sélectives qui provoquent la mort accidentelle de dauphins dans le Golfe de Gascogne. Avec des expressions provenant des champs lexicaux de la guerre et de la religion, SSF dépeint le gouvernement français et la plupart des pêcheurs comme poursuivant des valeurs lucratives égoïstes à l’encontre du bien-être des dauphins. Il s’avère que SSF se positionne comme radicale dans sa vision du monde plus que dans ses approches. Sa philosophie biocentrée de l’environnement contredit l’anthropocentrisme qui domine la société. Dans cette campagne, l’ONG utilise des tactiques « extérieures », c’est-à-dire qu’elle exerce une pression sur les décideurs politiques français avec des images de prises accessoires de dauphins et prend soin de maintenir une légitimité internationale en restant dans un cadre légal. / Die Meeresschutzorganisation Sea Shepherd ist vor allem für ihre radikalen „Direct Action“-Methoden bekannt, beispielsweise gegen Wal-Wilderei. Diese Arbeit untersucht die Kampagne „Operation Dolphin Bycatch“, die vom französischen Zweig der NGO koordiniert wird, durch multimodale Diskursanalyse und Interviews mit Mitgliedern von Sea Shepherd Frankreich (SSF). Delfine dienen als Flaggschiff-Art der Kampagne. Sie ermöglichen es SSF, die nicht-selektiven Fischereimethoden zu kritisieren, die das versehentliche Töten von Delfinen im Golf von Biskaya verursachen. Mit Begriffen aus Krieg und Religion schreibt SSF der französischen Regierung und den meisten Fischerleuten eigennützige Profitinteressen zu und stellt sie als Feinde des Wohlergehens der Delfine dar. Es zeigt sich, dass SSF eher in ihrer Weltanschauung als in ihren Ansätzen eine radikale Position beansprucht. Ihre biozentrische Umwelt-Philosophie steht im Widerspruch zum Anthropozentrismus, der in der Gesellschaft vorherrscht. Bei dieser Kampagne bedient sich die NGO „Außenseiter“-Taktiken: Sie übt Druck auf französische Politiker*innen aus, indem sie Filmaufnahmen von Delfin-Beifang zeigt, und achtet durch das Einhalten gesetzlicher Vorgaben darauf, internationale Legitimität zu wahren.

Genom att att beskriva hur ett strategiskt urval av information formar dessa filmer syftar uppsatsen dels undersöka hur skogsbruket porträtteras i Svenska Skogens filmer men även vilka diskurser som inkluderas. Vidare ämnar studien att via en kritisk ansats öka förståelse för de maktförhållanden som materialet signalerar och hur de förhåller sig till de risker som skogsindustrin i skapar. Materialet som studeras är filmer producerade av Svenska Skogen mellan 2017-2019 ovh metoden som används är multimodal kritisk diskursanalys. Studiens visar att filmerna förmedlar en identitet av produktion, miljömedvetenhet och medelklass. De har humor och är lättillgängliga för den urbana människan i Sverige. Den diskurs som präglar dessa filmer är miljöinriktad, men förmedlas på premisserna av produktion. Det är mycket som utelämnas från båda dessa diskursers klassiska utgångspunkter vilket gör att de genom konvergerande begrepp skapar en ny diskurs, här och i tidigare forskning kallad ekologisk modernitet.

Den moderna informations- och kommunikationsteknologin har inneburit genomgripande för­änd­ringar av vårt sätt att leva och kommunicera men nya tekniker har också mötts av skepti­cism och väckt kontroverser. Ett aktuellt exempel är motståndet mot den femte genera­tion­ens mobil­nät, 5G. Trots att det inom den etablerade vetenskapen saknas stöd för att 5G skulle utgöra en hälsofara har en växande antistrålningsrörelse hävdat att tekniken för med sig nya och ökade strålningsrisker. I den här uppsatsen utforskas den svenska 5G-kritiska rörel­se som vuxit sig stor på Facebook. Syftet är att undersöka hur risk, rädsla och misstro i relation till mobilnätet 5G konstrueras diskursivt inom den 5G-kritiska rörelsen, med utgångspunkt i två av de största och mest aktiva 5G-kritiska grupperna på plattformen. Uppsatsen utgår från en socialkon­struk­tionistisk ansats och fokuserar tre analytiska teman: risk, rädsla och misstro. Dessa teman ligger även till grund för det teoretiska ramverket som utgår från Ulrich Becks (2012) risksamhälle och Frank Furedis (2006) teori om rädslokulturer. Studien bygger på en netnografisk insam­lings­metod där såväl språkligt som visuellt innehåll har samlats in och analyserats i en multi­modal diskursanalys. Analysresultaten visar att risk, rädsla och misstro konstru­eras via ”version­er av världen” där riskerna med 5G framställs som verkliga, akuta och hotande och där makt­hav­ande aktörer porträtteras som opålitliga, korrupta och in­kom­­petenta. Dessa diskur­s­iva mönster är såväl språk­­liga som visu­ella; de sker inte bara genom menings­skapande ord­val, narrativ och tecken utan också genom använd­ning av så kallade inter­net­mem och emojis. Studiens resultat visar också att sociologiska perspektiv på risk, rädsla och misstro kan fördjupa förståelsen för dessa konstruk­tioner och ge perspektiv på hur rörelsen förhåller sig till det omgivande sam­hället. Analysen tyder på att de definitions­strider och olika rationalitets­anspråk som Beck (2012) har beskriv­it som typiska för risksam­hället också präglar konstruk­tionen av riskerna med 5G. Furedis (2006) rädsloteman fördjupar vidare förståelsen för hur risker till­skrivs ett hotfullt innehåll genom sociala och kulturella pro­cesser. Dessutom visar analysen på att misstro gentemot etablerad expertis kan leda till fram­växten just den alter­na­tiva expertis som såväl Beck som Furedi har beskrivit. Samtidigt tycks social organi­sering online också innebära vissa nya förutsättningar som har potential att för­flytta tradi­tion­ella makt­positioner som finns beskriv­na i teorin. / Modern information and communications technology has brought about radical changes in the way we live and communicate. However, new technologies have also sparked scepticism and created controversies. A recent example is the opposition to the fifth-generation mobile network technology, 5G. According to the established science community, there is no evidence that 5G would pose a health hazard. Still, a growing anti-radiation movement has claimed that the tech­nology will cause new and increased radiation risks. This essay explores the Swedish 5G critical movement that has grown large on Facebook. The aim is to examine how risk, fear, and mistrust in relation to the mobile network 5G are constructed discursively within the 5G critical move­ment, based on two of the largest and most active 5G critical groups on the platform. Drawing on a social constructionist approach, the study focuses on three analytical themes: risk, fear, and mistrust. These themes also form the basis of the theoretical framework, consisting of per­spec­tives from Ulrich Beck’s (2012) risk society and Frank Furedi’s (2006) theory on culture of fear. The study is based on a netnographic collection method where both linguistic and visual data have been collected and analysed in a multimodal discourse analysis. The result of the analysis shows that risk, fear, and mis­trust are constructed via "versions of the world" in which the risks of 5G are presented as real, acute, and threat­ening and actors in power are portrayed as unreliable, corrupt, and incom­petent. These discursive patter­ns are both linguistic and visual; they take place not only through mean­­­ingful choices of words, narra­tives, and signs but also by using so-called internet memes and emojis. The results also show that sociological perspectives on risk, fear, and mis­trust can deepen the understanding of these construc­tions and provide perspectives on how the move­ment relates to the surrounding society. The analysis indicates that the definitional strugg­les and different claims of rationality that Beck (2012) has described as typical for the risk society also characterize the construction of risks related to 5G. Furedi’s (2006) themes of fear also deepens the understanding of how risks are assigned a threat­ening content through social and cult­ural processes. Moreover, the analysis reveals that distrust of established expert­ise can lead to the emergence of an alter­native expert­ise, which has been described by both Beck and Furedi. However, the results also suggest that social organization online entails some new con­ditions that have the potential to shift trad­itional positions of power described in theory.

The present study conducts a multimodal discourse analysis of texts from the three charities UNICEF, Red Cross and Doctors Without Borders and investigates how the reader is encouraged to support these organizations by donating money. The aim is to explore what relationship to the reader that is established, as well as what attitudes that are expressed through textual and visual modes. To do this, three texts from each charity are selected, all regarding the 10-year-long Syrian war, so a comparison can be drawn between the organizations’ different linguistic strategies. The study is based on Fairclough’s three-dimensional model, Halliday’s metafunctions and the appraisal theory presented by Martin & White. Previous studies illustrate how the theoretical frameworks can be applied in analyses of advertisement, narrative texts and fundraising letters by non-for-profit organizations. This study provides further illustration of the significant role of different details in pictures and written text in order to inspire and persuade the reader to help finance the organizations. The results discern a charity discourse, where the texts not only emphasize the importance of helping those in need, but also to support and allow the charities to continue their crucial work worldwide. The texts also seem to aim at arousing empathy and creating a close relationship to the reader in order to encourage donations.

The inherent conflict between the predetermined nature of narrative and the freedom that interactivity allows for, has been a major point of discussion in the field of interactive storytelling for many years. The Narrative Paradox, which initially described this tension, is seemingly getting closer than ever to being solved, but a singular solution with a definite answer has not been determined. This qualitative thesis aims to find a possible solution to the Narrative Paradox in how the multimodal components in the video game Outer Wilds construct meaning as well as ludonarrative coherence in conjunction with the player experience. The study also aims to discuss the importance of implementing game studies in media and communication research by arguing for the relevance of the medium in the field. In order to answer these questions, a multimodal discourse analysis of ludonarrative relationships arising in Youtube Let’s Plays was performed. By utilizing the narrative goals of Outer Wilds, theoretical solutions for the Narrative Paradox and the notion of narrative emerging from player interactions and motives, the results of the study show that Outer Wilds primarily uses Embedded Narrative as its main source of storytelling, while the game design and the open world within it allow for a high degree of Emergent behaviors through non-linear sequencing of events. The analysis also highlights the game as being purposefully designed for a specific type of player, which was reflected by one of the players experiencing close to a completely resonant playthrough of the game's introductory phase. While the ludonarrative structure of Outer Wilds in itself revealed similarities to the theoretical solutions of the Narrative Paradox, the analysis of the player experience in Outer Wilds provided insight into the importance of players’ motives as an essential part in the game design process of minimizing the tension between narrative and interactivity in video games.