Letter from G. Robert Hodge, New York City Disability Rights Officer, to Geraldine Ferraro

Congratulatory letter from G. Robert Hodge, Disability Rights Officer with the New York City Mayor\u27s Office for the Handicapped, to Geraldine Ferraro.https://ir.lawnet.fordham.edu/vice_presidential_campaign_correspondence_1984_new_york/1217/thumbnail.jp

UNDER THE CELLULOID SKIN: A Social Semiotic Analysis of Tunç Okan’s Debut Film Otobüs

Cinema is an externalised, materialised form of collective memory in which one can find experiences, desires, traumas, ideas, hopes and imaginations of the given society. One can - with the utilisation of the right set of tools and methods - learn a lot about a society by studying its cinema. In this context, this thesis offers a social semiotic analysis of the debut film Otobüs (The Bus, 1974) by the Turkish film director Tunç Okan. The film, which follows the dystopian journey of nine Turkish workers from Turkey to Sweden who are cheated by an international human trafficking gang, offers a very rich set of symbols that constructs an alternative socio-historical record from the point of view of other ignored other, namely the immigrants of whom Okan himself is one. This thesis -by utilising the Marxist social semiotic approaches of Robert Hodge and Gunther Kress- attempts to make the cinematographic signifiers visible and connect these signifiers to the socio-historical signifieds. In relation to the analysis of the film the thesis also introduces a new concept transboundary cinema in order to avoid shortcomings in the existing terminology dealing with the multi-transitional structure of the film and to be able to recognise the films unique qualities

Experiencing Multiple Realities: Alfred Schutz’s Sociology of the Finite Provinces of Meaning

This book offers a theoretical investigation into the general problem of reality as a multiplicity of ‘finite provinces of meaning’, as developed in the work of Alfred Schutz. A critical introduction to Schutz’s sociology of multiple realities as well as a sympathetic re-reading and reconstruction of his project, Experiencing Multiple Realities traces the genesis and implications of this concept in Schutz’s writings before presenting an analysis of various ways in which it can shed light on major sociological problems, such as social action, social time, social space, identity, or narrativity

Exposições em museus de ciências: reflexões e critérios para análise

Hoje, no que diz respeito à sua interface direta com o público, os museus são considerados, em teoria, instituições com objetivos variados, como educação, lazer, informação e inclusão social. Neste contexto, as exposições aparecem como elemento fundamental da relação entre museus e sociedade, e a expografia torna-se, portanto, ferramenta de comunicação essencial para a efetividade do processo de divulgação. Mas, como se dá a comunicação nestes espaços? Trata-se o presente, de uma reflexão acerca das estratégias de comunicação nas exposições em museus de ciências e sua eficácia. Foram selecionadas três temáticas, a primeira delas é a dos tipos de exposição, e entre as numerosas possibilidades de categorização, optou-se por aquelas descritas por Dean (2003) e Davallon (1986 e 1989). Outra questão discutida é a do uso do objeto, tido, dentre as diferentes mídias a que se pode recorrer em uma exposição, como o diferencial do museu. Por fim, discute-se a questão da interatividade, por vezes reduzida à manipulação, a partir dos níveis propostos por Wagensberg (2000). Apontam-se exemplificações dessas temáticas na exposição de longa duração Pesquisa em Zoologia: a biodiversidade sob o olhar do zoólogo, inaugurada pelo Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo em setembro de 2002.In respect to their direct interface with the public, museums nowadays are considered, in theory, institutions with a wide reach such as education, leisure, information and social inclusion. In this context, exhibitions emerge as a fundamental component in the relation between museums and society, and expography becomes an essential communicating tool for the effectiveness of the public communication process. But, how does this communication process occur in these places? The present work brings up a discussion on communication strategies in science museums and their effectiveness, focusing on three main themes. The first one refers to the different types of exhibitions and, although there are innumerous possibilities for classification, the ones described by Dean (2003) and Davallon (1986 and 1989) were followed here. Another question is the use of objects, considered, among the different media to which we can resource to in an exhibition, capable of making the museum stand out. Finally, we discuss the interactivity, sometimes reduced to manipulation, according to the levels described by Wagensberg (2000). Examples of these questions are indicated in the long-term exhibition Pesquisa em Zoologia: A Diversidade sob o Olhar do Zoólogo (Research in Zoology: Biodiversity through the eyes of a zoologist) that was opened at the Zoology Museum of the University of São Paulo in September 2002

The visual representation of dual language education

Despite well documented benefits of dual language (DL) programs which deliver educational content in two languages, there are still few DL programs in the United States. As such, there is a need to understand how to effectively persuade more states/districts to adopt the programs. In addition, more critical research is needed that focuses on how the programs are represented visually, as well as how this visual representation reflects wider discourses about DL education that could impede the programs from reaching those who need them most. In this article, the author explores ideologies behind DL program discourse by looking at photojournalism (or in some cases, stock photos) from 34 local online news reports. She employed multimodal critical discourse analysis (MCDA), including a thematic analysis of images. Findings reveal that many of the discourses (e.g. neoliberalism) seen in analyses of written text were repeated visually but, in some cases, visual data communicated different discourses that were advanced in nuanced ways. The author concludes by urging more critical work in visual communication that focuses on educational issues

The social meaning of social indicators

While new modes of data processing have provided reams of data, there has been relatively less effort in seeking to comprehend the social meaning of results of empirical work. A set of previously developed indicators of urban social structure is here examined for its link to theory, and to the social structure of the city itself. The original indicators (size, social class, racial composition and community maturity) were empirically derived. In this paper, each is taken in turn, and explored with respect to several possible social meanings. Size, for example, is considered to be itself an indicator, and an imperfect one, for system complexity; percent non-white is seen to be itself an indicator for a slowdown in the mobility process, or a slower social metabolism. These and other results are suggestions, with illustrations, but not conclusive support, from other than the original data. While it is hoped that the theoretical suggestions may themselves be of interest, it is also hoped that approach itself can indicate the fertility and usefulness of going back to theory once empirical measures have been developed.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/43687/1/11205_2004_Article_BF00304121.pd

Is social semiotics a unitary research field? An introductory and comparative mapping of Argentinean, Brazilian, French, Italian and English-speaking semiotic approaches to social meaning-making

In the 1980s, researchers from different academic circles around the world started paying attention to the functioning of the social realm with a focus on signification and sense-making. Since then, they have shown particular interest in  studying practices, interactions and spatiality, among other objects of study, as activities that convey social meaning and produce sense. This is how the field of social semiotics emerged within general semiotics. However, the emergence of this new research field occurred in a fragmented manner. Nowadays, English-speaking ‘social semiotics’ coexists with at least two French sociosémiotiques, with Argentinean sociosemiótica, with Italian sociosemiotica and with Brazilian sociossemiótica. This article examines these five accounts of social semiotics in a comparative manner with a focus on the theoretical and methodological references they use as their sources. Therefore, the article should function as an introductory roadmap for researchers within the social and human sciences interested in approaching contemporary social semiotics and sociosemiotic research.In the 1980s, researchers from different academic circles around the world started paying attention to the functioning of the social realm with a focus on signification and sense-making. Since then, they have shown particular interest in  studying practices, interactions and spatiality, among other objects of study, as activities that convey social meaning and produce sense. This is how the field of social semiotics emerged within general semiotics. However, the emergence of this new research field occurred in a fragmented manner. Nowadays, English-speaking ‘social semiotics’ coexists with at least two French sociosémiotiques, with Argentinean sociosemiótica, with Italian sociosemiotica and with Brazilian sociossemiótica. This article examines these five accounts of social semiotics in a comparative manner with a focus on the theoretical and methodological references they use as their sources. Therefore, the article should function as an introductory roadmap for researchers within the social and human sciences interested in approaching contemporary social semiotics and sociosemiotic research