Browsing by Author "Kalliokoski, Timo"

This thesis studies multimodal recontextualization in European University Assocation Trend Reports. Recontextualization refers to the changes that are required for parts of discourse to move between contexts. Regular reports are published by the European University Association on the topic of the Bologna Process and its implementation across Europe. Two research questions guide the study: 1. What evidence of recontextualization can be found between textual elements and diagrams in higher education policy documents? 2. To what extent can multimodal analysis improve our understanding of recontextualization? The primary multimodal framework rests on Bateman’s (2011) abstract model for semiotic modes. These modes are realised through application of semiotic resources on a material substrate while being interpreted contextually based on an understanding of the relevant discourse semantics. Of particular note in this study are the semiotic modes of text-flow, page-flow, layout and the diagrammatic mode. The typology used for categorising and operationalizing diagrams is based on that of Engelhardt and Richards (2018). The most common types of diagrams in the dataset are various bar charts, table charts and choropleth maps. The total number of diagrams in the corpus is 212, of which these three categories form 88%. The way information is visually encoded is considered in terms of the principles of arranging, varying and linking performed by the diagrams. The recontextualization analysis proceeds by considering the transformations that take place when information within text-based contexts is transferred or translated over to a diagrammatic visualization. The methodology for this follows Van Leeuwen (2008), and primarily concerns the transformations of substitution, deletion and legitimation. The analysis shows that the diagrams in the dataset are used for three primary purposes: The summarization of information presented elsewhere, reinstatement of in-text claims for additional legitimation, and the presentation of temporal information in order to allow for comparison between trend reports or participating countries. The recontextualizing transformations of substitution and deletion are present in nearly every diagram in the dataset, while legitimation is used more conservatively to provide support for claims made in the text. These recontextualizations take advantage of tresources offered by the diagrammatic mode that allows them to present information by using otherwise unavailable dimensions such as temporal or the spatial. The results support the notion that analysis of recontextualization can be successfully combined with a multimodal approach, and this has been found to potentially support both approaches. This is in line with the interest multimodal researchers have shown in the demarcation of and transition of meaning between semiotic modes.