Typography as Context · 2021. 1. 29. · Typographie und ihrer Entwicklung.Tübingen: Niemeyer...

Typography as ContextThe Graphic Constitution of Genres and Social Territories

PD Dr. Jürgen SpitzmüllerUniversity of Zurich, Department of German Studies

Sociolinguistics Symposium 20, Panel “Typographic Landscaping”Jyväskylä, 17/06/2014

Typography asContext

Jürgen Spitzmüller

Introduction

On genres

Typographic genreconstitution

Exemplification

Conclusions: TL associal territories

2¨34

Outline

1. On genres

2. Typographic genre constitution

3. Exemplification

4. Conclusions: Linguistic landscapes as social territories



Introduction

On genres


Exemplification


3¨34

Genre concept

“[G]enres can be defined as the historically specificconventions and ideals according to which authorscompose discourse and audiences receive it. In this view,genres consist of orienting frameworks, interpretiveprocedures, and sets of expectations that are not part ofdiscourse structure, but of the ways actors relate to and uselanguage [. . .].”

Hanks, William F. (1987). Discourse Genres in a Theory ofPractice. In: American Ethnologist 14/4, pp. 668–692, quot.:p. 670.



Introduction

On genres


Exemplification


4¨34

Genre concept

“We conceive of genre as one order of speech style, aconstellation of systematically related, co-occurrentfeatures and structures that contrasts with other suchconstellations [. . .] and provides a conventionalizedorienting framework for the production and reception ofdiscourse [. . .]. More specifically, a genre is a speech styleoriented to the production and reception of particular kindsof text.”

Bauman, Richard (2005). The ethnography of genre in a Mexicanmarket: form, function, variation. In: Penelope Eckert/John R.Rickford (eds.): Style and Sociolinguistic Variation. Cambridge:Cambridge University Press, pp. 57–77, quot.: p. 58.



Introduction

On genres


Exemplification


5¨34

Genres and ideology

“Genres also bear social, ideological, andpolitical-economic connections; genres may thus beassociated with distinct groups as defined by gender, age,social class, occupation, and the like. Invoking a genre thuscreates indexical connections that extend far beyond thepresent setting of production or reception, thereby linkinga particular act to other times, places and persons.”

Briggs, Charles L./Bauman, Richard (1992). Genre,Intertextuality, and Social Power. In: Journal of LinguisticAnthropology 2/2, pp. 131–172, quot.: pp. 147–148.



Introduction

On genres


Exemplification


6¨34

Enregisterment of genres

“registers [are] culture-internal models of personhoodlinked to speech forms.”

Agha, Asif (2007). Language and Social Relations. Cambridge:Cambridge University Press (Studies in the Social and CulturalFoundations of Language 24), p. 135.

“Enregisterment: processes and practices wherebyperformable signs become recognized (and regrouped) asbelonging to distinct, differentially valorized semioticregisters by a population.”

Agha, Asif (2007). Language and Social Relations. Cambridge:Cambridge University Press (Studies in the Social and CulturalFoundations of Language 24), p. 81.



Introduction

On genres


Exemplification


7¨34

Genres as interpretive phenomena

“genres [are] typical forms of text which link kinds ofproducer, consumer, topic, medium, manner and occasion[. . .]. These control the behaviour of producers of suchtexts, and the expectations of potential consumers. [. . .]Like the category of text, genres are socially ascribedclassifications of semiotic form. Genres only exist in so faras a social group declares and enforces the rules thatconstitute them.”

Hodge, Robert/Kress, Gunther (1988). Social semiotics. Ithaca,NY: Cornell University Press, p. 7.



Introduction

On genres


Exemplification


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Genres and social/metapragmatic practice

‚ Genres are the result of recurrent communicative [andmetacommunicative] practice

à Communicative practice and “intertextual gaps” arepart of generic change

Cf. Günthner, Susanne/Knoblauch, Hubert (1995). CulturallyPatterned Speaking Practices. The Analysis of CommunicativeGenres. In: Pragmatics 5/1, pp. 1–32.



Introduction

On genres


Exemplification


9¨34

Typography as genre cue

Hypothesis

Typographic forms and constellations serve ascontextualization or genre cues, since they are indexicallylinked with (ascribed to) specific genres.Hence, typographic form frames the interpretation oftext, evokes interpretive expectations and triggerscommunicative knowledge.



Introduction

On genres


Exemplification


10¨34

Typographic dispositives“[Ich] verstehe [. . .] unter typographischen Dispositivenmakrotypographische Kompositionsschemata, die alssyntagmatisch gestalthafte ‘Superzeichen’ jeweilsTextsorten konnotieren. Typographische Dispositive stelleneine hochgeneralisierte Form der konnotativenSemantisierung typographischer Syntax dar. Der Existenzvon typographischen Dispositiven ist es zu verdanken, daßman auf den ersten Blick in der Lage ist, eine Seite auseiner Tageszeitung von einem Dramentext oder einemLexikoneintrag zu unterscheiden. [. . .] Die Vorstellungenüber Textklassen und ihre charakteristischen Eigenschaftenumfassen immer auch Merkmale ihrer äußeren(typographischen) Form; sie gehören zum Alltagswissenunserer Lesekultur.”

Wehde, Susanne (2000). Typographische Kultur. Einezeichentheoretische und kulturgeschichtliche Studie zurTypographie und ihrer Entwicklung. Tübingen: Niemeyer(Studien und Texte zur Sozialgeschichte der Literatur 69), p. 119.



Introduction

On genres


Exemplification


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Typographic genre costitution

Typographic means/constellations might indicate perceived

‚ text function

‚ historicity

‚ actors (social personae)

‚ social relations and power

‚ ideologies

In emplaced communication, these allocations arebi-directionally linked with the location and with the socialascriptions the location is subject to



Introduction

On genres


Exemplification


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A dense semiotic arena



Introduction

On genres


Exemplification


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As ideological as it gets

(‘Death to the BVB [i. e., Borussia Dortmund]’)



Introduction

On genres


Exemplification


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Non-prototypical, but generic ‘texts’



Introduction

On genres


Exemplification


15¨34

Intergeneric references and functional indexes



Introduction

On genres


Exemplification


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Genre parodies as genre



Introduction

On genres


Exemplification


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(‘FELIX: Not liked by us anymore’)



Introduction

On genres


Exemplification


18¨34

Emulated (iconic) historicity



Introduction

On genres


Exemplification


19¨34

Factual (indexical) historicity



Introduction

On genres


Exemplification


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‘Factual’ or ‘emulated’?



Introduction

On genres


Exemplification


21¨34

Historicity as identity

(Ceterum censo: ‘. . . furthermore, we consider that thesponsor must be elided from the club logo’)



Introduction

On genres


Exemplification


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‘Real’ fans?



Introduction

On genres


Exemplification


23¨34

Legitimate practices

“But that’s the old tiresome Ultra/normalofan discussion.As long as our organized fans [the Ultras] continue toprotest against everybody and everything and refuse tohold up their scarfs even when ‘You’ll never walk alone’ isbeing played, which destroys the overall picture, we canonly dream of a perfect stadium atmosphere.”

http://www.bvb-forum.de/index.php?id=173591<30. 12. 2011>; my transl.

http://www.bvb-forum.de/index.php?id=173591



Introduction

On genres


Exemplification


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Legitimate practices

“Was ist aus den guten alten, von Frau / Mutti / Omizusammen genähten, und selbst mit viel Liebe bemaltenZaunfahnen geworden? Klar, durch Digitaldruck & co Sindmittlerweile teilweise sogar Fotos auf Zaunfahnendarstellbar, aber dies ist meiner Meinung nach keineEntwicklung, die man mitmachen sollte. Mit einerZaunfahne muss sich ein Fanclub identifizieren. Und das istbei einer selbst gemalten Zaunfahne doch viel eher der Fallals an einer, beim Onlinehändler XY, bestellten. Natürlichsieht eine selbst gemachte Fahne wahrscheinlich optischnicht so perfekt aus, wie eine bestellte, doch DAS machtdie alten ‘Lappen’ doch gerade so liebenswert! Außerdemkönnt ihr euch sicher sein: In einigen Jahren blickt ihr mitSicherheit stolz auf eure selbst gemalte Zaunfahne underinnert euch an die geilen (und mit Sicherheit auchbeschissenen) Tage die ihr und eure Zaunfahne mitgemacht



Introduction

On genres


Exemplification


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Legitimate practices (cont.)

habt. Auch wenn sie vielleicht nicht die schönste ist – Es istEURE Zaunfahne! Deswegen, der Appell, hier im BPZ[= ‘Beipackzettel’, Name of the Fanzine; J. S.]: Nehmt euchdie Zeit, malt eure Zaunfahne selbst – Es lohnt sich aufjeden Fall und für den Block ist es eine Bereicherung!”

Ultras Krefeld (2011): Beipackzettel. Infoflyer für die FanszeneUerdingen. 11. Anwendung: KFC Uerdingen vs. SportfreundeSiegen (28. Okt.). URL: http://ultras-krefeld.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/BPZoktober11web.pdf<01. 03. 2012>, S. 3.

http://ultras-krefeld.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/BPZoktober11web.pdf




Introduction

On genres


Exemplification


27¨34


(‘FELIX: Not liked by us anymore’)



Introduction

On genres


Exemplification


28¨34

Occupying place

(‘Money can achieve much, but not everything –we are the club!’)



Introduction

On genres


Exemplification


29¨34

Occupying place



Introduction

On genres


Exemplification


30¨34

Graphic ideologies



Introduction

On genres


Exemplification


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Conclusions

‚ Genres as orienting frameworks make texts – and theplaces to which these texts are embedded – sociallyinterpretable and structure the social world

‚ This is achieved by means of the connection of thediscussed categories, function, historicity, actors,social relations, power and ideology, with genres

‚ All these aspects are part of genre knowledge

‚ The context of interpretation, when we read texts thatare allocated to a specific genre, is derived frominferences we draw due to communicative cues,amongst others, typographic cues

‚ Typographic constellations are thus contexts thatstabilize communication and invite us to read a text(or place) in a specific way



Introduction

On genres


Exemplification


32¨34

Conclusions (cont.)

‚ Typographic landscapes are social territories, to whichclaims (of property, legitimacy, authority, orthopraxyetc.) are made by means of generic, enregisteredtypographic forms

‚ The claims, however, are themselves often confrontedwith counter-claims, and the indexical meaning of theforms is by no means stable, but itself subject todiscursive negotiation



Introduction

On genres


Exemplification


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References

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References

‚ Agha, Asif (2007). Language and Social Relations. Cambridge:Cambridge University Press (Studies in the Social and CulturalFoundations of Language 24).

‚ Bakhtin, Mikhail M. (1986). The problem of speech genre. In: Speechgenres and other late essays, ed. by Caryl Emerson and MichaelHolquist. Transl. by Vern W. McGee. Austin, TX: University of TexasPress (University of Texas Press Slavic series 8), pp. 60–102 [russ. orig.:Problema rechevych zhanrov in: Michail M. Bachtin: Èstetikaslovesnogo tvorchestva. Moskau: Iskusstvo 1979, p. 237–280].

‚ Bauman, Richard (2005). The ethnography of genre in a Mexicanmarket: form, function, variation. In: Penelope Eckert/John R. Rickford(eds.): Style and Sociolinguistic Variation. Cambridge: CambridgeUniversity Press, pp. 57–77.

‚ Briggs, Charles L./Bauman, Richard (1992). Genre, Intertextuality, andSocial Power. In: Journal of Linguistic Anthropology 2/2, pp. 131–172.

‚ Bühler, Karl (1990). Theory of Language. The RepresentationalFunction of Language. Amsterdam: Benjamins [German:Sprachtheorie. Die Darstellungsfunktion der Sprache. Jena: Fischer1934].



References

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References (cont.)

‚ Chartier, Roger (1987). Lectures et lecteurs dans la France d’AncienRégime. Paris: Édition du Seuil.

‚ Günthner, Susanne/Knoblauch, Hubert (1995). Culturally PatternedSpeaking Practices. The Analysis of Communicative Genres. In:Pragmatics 5/1, pp. 1–32.

‚ Hanks, William F. (1987). Discourse Genres in a Theory of Practice. In:American Ethnologist 14/4, pp. 668–692.

‚ Hodge, Robert/Kress, Gunther (1988). Social semiotics. Ithaca, NY:Cornell University Press.

‚ Spitzmüller, Jürgen (forthc.). Graphic variation and graphic ideologies:a metapragmatic approach. In: Social Semiotics (thematic issue“Typographic Landscapes”, ed. by Johan Järlehed and AdamJaworski).

‚ Spitzmüller, Jürgen (2012). Floating Ideologies: Metamorphoses ofGraphic “Germanness”. In: Alexandra Jaffe/JannisAndroutsopoulos/Mark Sebba/Sally Johnson (eds.): Orthography asSocial Action: Scripts, Spelling, Identity and Power. Berlin/Boston: DeGruyter Mouton (Language and Social Processes 3), pp. 255–288.



References

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References (cont.)

‚ Spitzmüller, Jürgen (2013). Graphische Variation als soziale Praxis.Eine soziolinguistische Theorie skripturaler ‘Sichtbarkeit’.Berlin/Boston: De Gruyter (Linguistik – Impulse & Tendenzen 56)[= Habilitation thesis, University of Zurich 2012].

‚ Ultras Krefeld (2011): Beipackzettel. Infoflyer für die FanszeneUerdingen. 11. Anwendung: KFC Uerdingen vs. Sportfreunde Siegen(Oct. 28, 2011). URL: http://ultras-krefeld.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/BPZoktober11web.pdf <03/01/2012>.

‚ Wehde, Susanne (2000). Typographische Kultur. Einezeichentheoretische und kulturgeschichtliche Studie zur Typographieund ihrer Entwicklung. Tübingen: Niemeyer (Studien und Texte zurSozialgeschichte der Literatur 69).



Typography as Context · 2021. 1. 29. · Typographie und ihrer Entwicklung.Tübingen: Niemeyer...

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Transcript of Typography as Context · 2021. 1. 29. · Typographie und ihrer Entwicklung.Tübingen: Niemeyer...