Abstract
ABSTRACT Toys, in their myriad versions, have been historically considered as objects of investigation insofar as their educational use, play and effects are concerned. Nevertheless, it must be said that academic research in the direction of toys’ multimodal configurations and meaning-making potential has been quite scant, despite a few relevant studies in the area (Caldas-Coulthard & van Leeuwen, 2001, 2002, 2004; Machin & Van Leeuwen, 2009; Almeida, 2006; 2008; 2009; 2014; 2017; 2018). This paper presentation attempts at demonstrating how systems of signification derived from the Grammar of Visual Design (VG) by Kress and van Leeuwen (2006 [1996]), such as the subsystem of modality (reality value), when combined with other concepts, such as Varney’s (1999; 2003) concept of technocracy of sensuality and Fleming’s (1996) notions of harder representationality and tactile attachment, have proved effective as theoretical tools to toy semiotics by allowing to go beyond the investigation of toys’ two-dimensional perspective to check on their material configurations such as texture, smell, kinetic possibilities and the degree of realism of these three-dimensional childhood representations. By means of primarily linguistic lens, I believe to contribute to social semiotic research through the articulation of the analysis of linguistic aspects of data with the discussion of social issues such as gender roles, diversity, representation and inclusion. All in all, my main intention is to propose an innovative, exploratory look into toys as texts as well as ideologically-loaded cultural artefacts.
Highlights
Throughout the last decades, a lot has been said about toys as texts: that they are a meeting place for various discourses (FALKSTROM, 2003); that intimately relate to what goes on in society (CALDAS COULTHARD AND VAN LEEUWEN, 2002); that more than objects, they are occurrences (FLEMING, 1996).toys have left the shelves in toy stores to be considered as texts, as multimodal objects to be manipulated, read and interpreted in their full meaning-making potential, besides their playing affordances
Toys can be regarded as a communicative semiotic system, able to produce representational, interactive and compositional meanings (KRESS AND VAN LEEUWEN, 2006) just as any other language system
Varney (1999) expands on that by stating that in order to make toys more sensual and more eye catching, the industry may use colours, smell, flavours, light, sounds, by making them become more sensually appealing to the senses for marketing and/or sales purposes. This marketing phenomenon of applying the so-called technocracy of sensuality to toys’ design can be clearly seen in the baby dolls investigated in the Multimodality & Childhood project: in terms of naturalistic modality, most of our analysed baby dolls cry out real tears, have hearts that beat like real ones, make sounds, pee and weigh like real babies, while others, when exposed to the sunlight get red cheeks
Summary
Throughout the last decades, a lot has been said about toys as texts: that they are a meeting place for various discourses (FALKSTROM, 2003); that intimately relate to what goes on in society (CALDAS COULTHARD AND VAN LEEUWEN, 2002); that more than objects, they are occurrences (FLEMING, 1996). Part of a language system, toys first and foremost appeal to our affective reactions, and that has to do with their interpersonal meanings, which most times is associated to toys’ material qualities Whether they are made of metal, plastic, wood or soft materials, they reveal cultural references and produce affective reactions. This article aims at demonstrating toys’ meaning-making potential as texts by describing some of the projects which have been conducted both in England and in Brazil since late 1990s about the verbal and visual language of toys It presents an innovative framework aimed at the analysis of toys’ material qualities, based on and linked to Kress & van Leeuwen’s (2006) systems for modality within their interactive visual metafunction. The project Toys as Communication, aimed at the social semiotic study of toys as texts, conducted by Theo van Leeuwen and Carmen Rosa Caldas-Coulthard in the late 1990’s will be described
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