The Methodological Unit of HSSH organizes a weekly Brown Bag Seminar to highlight novel methodological approaches in humanities and social sciences. Bring your own lunch, we bring fresh methodological topics!
Multimodality is the field of research that focuses on understanding media and interactions multiple forms of expression are mobilised simultaneously (or co-spatially) in order to communicate. Such forms of expression often involve spoken language, written language, sound, music, images (of various kinds), and much more. An early suggestion made for this kind of research was that it is naturally `interdisciplinary: very different disciplines typically engage with the distinct forms of expression at work and so attempting to deal with their combination would seem a clear call to interdisciplinarity. However, as Theo van Leeuwen, one of the prime-movers of current multimodality research has noted, semiotics has instead spawned a whole battery of mono-modal specialisations. This also includes the many cases of `linguistic imperialism various forms of expression are seen in the terms of linguistic theory rather than in their own right.
In our recent work on the theoretical foundations and empirical practice of multimodality, we attempt to build in openness to interdisciplinarity from the outset so as to support transdisciplinary triangulation both theoretically and methodologically. In this talk, I briefly introduce the theory and methods developed and share our experiences in pursuing interdisciplinary work to date. Although disciplinary boundaries are still strong and can even be useful, more structured support for challenges going beyond those boundaries are required, theoretically, methodologically, and institutionally - particularly on the part of funding organisations, good intentions can still all too readily be derailed by disciplinary habits.
John Bateman is a Research Professor in the Linguistics and English Departments of the Faculty of Linguistics and Literary Sciences at Bremen University.
There will be a 20-minute introduction to the methodological theme, followed by an open discussion of 40 minutes. The seminars are open to everybody. We expect a multidisciplinary and methodologically curious audience from different faculties and units of the central campus. The most important prerequisite for participation is not methodological expertise, but an open mind towards new methodological innovations and discussion across methodological and disciplinary boundaries.
Please join us on 7.5. at 12.15 to listen and discuss!
You are welcome to join us at our seminar room (access via Vuorikatu 3 courtyard, take the elevator or stairs from Café Portaali to floor 5B, room 524 is on the right after a glass door) or online via zoom.<$DetailsLisatietojaLinkki$>
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