(POST) SEMIOTIC LANDSCAPES of the diver[city]

Sensing beyond the human and non-human social-temporal-spatial realms. 

The concept of "Post-semiotic landscapes of the Diver[city]" is rooted in the approach for collecting, documenting, analyzing, and disseminating multimodal semiotic artifacts from (Post) conflict, (Post) Brexit, and (Post) Pandemic Belfast (Northern Ireland) and the idea of post-semiotics as a suggested shift in the way we think about and make meaning through semiotic objects in contemporary society as these relate to post-modernity, multimodalities, pluriversal knowledges, hybridities and non-temporal or spatial sensing (emotions, feelings, smells, sounds, memories etc).  

A Post-Semiotic Transversal Axis as a Conceptual Framework

This ever-evolving framework of post-semiotics suggests a complex transversality of several concepts and implies moving beyond or transcending traditional semiotic research approaches in the study of linguistic landscapes (Charisse Carr, 2019; Shohamy & Gorter, 2009). Our work seeks to spark curiosity for unconventional forms of engaging with signs, symbols, and their meanings to explore new dimensions or considerations in the field of linguistic landscapes from different but not limited to the following intersecting dimensions (figure 1):

Multimodality: It could emphasize the importance of considering various modes of communication beyond written language and symbols. This might include analyzing the use of images, sounds, digital media, and other non-linguistic elements in urban or public spaces (Bateman et al., 2017; Samuels et al., 2010).

Digital and Virtual Landscapes: The "post-semiotic" aspect might address the role of digital technologies and virtual spaces in shaping linguistic landscapes. This involves studying how online communication, social media, and augmented reality impact language display and communication in the virtual realm in connection with the real realm (Gill, 2009; Ivkovic & Lotherington, 2009).

Globalization and Hybridity: Post-semiotic linguistic landscapes observe how globalization and cultural hybridity influence the ways languages and symbols are used and blended in diverse urban settings (Archer et al., 2013; Hutnyk, 2005). This involves studying the coexistence of multiple languages and scripts in a globalized world.

Pluriversal Politics: Understanding symbols and languages in the public domain implies understanding the multiple possibilities of languages and cultures represented in multiple worlds/universes (Escobar, 2018). This means that as humans, we need to acknowledge our relationships with other humans, non-humans, and beyond human beings.

Non/Temporal Dimensions: A post-semiotic perspective explores how semiotic landscapes interrelate and weave with the sensory dimensions (Pink, 2015) and intersubjectivity temporality on how beings change over time, including historical shifts, digital temporalities, and the evolving nature of public space communication (Ingold, 1993; Rodemeyer, 2006; Steedman, 1997).

Postmodern and Post-structuralist Perspectives: This lens attempts to challenge traditional notions of linguistic stability, meaning, and representation as well as the fluid and dynamic nature of language in contemporary contexts such as translanguaging, trans[cultura]linguación and plurilingualism (García & Wei, 2014; Ortega, 2022; Piccardo, 2017; Popoviciu et al., 2006).

Figure 1. A work-in-progress post-semiotics framework.

Our methodological approach

Multimodal Semiotic Paseo (MSP)

We utilize a multi-method and multimodal approach to capture the multiplicity of experiences making sure to permeate our subjectivities by challenging rigid forms of data collection, analysis, and dissemination. Paseo is the word in Spanish for walking, however, in our context, it means to embrace a more intentional form of walking in which conversations, relations, senses (sounds, smells, tactile/touch, hearing/listening, memories, etc.) are experienced and shared with our team, the communities we engage and the artifacts and materials we collect and document. Through our MSP, we utilize some or most of the following approaches. 

This research project is supported by the AHRC/ESRC Impact Acceleration Account from Queen's University Belfast.