Symbolic Associations Research Articles

THE SYMBOLIC MEANING OF COLORS IN HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS

This study examines the symbolic meanings of colors in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling, utilizing archetypal criticism and Carl Jung's theory of archetypal symbols. Through a qualitative analysis, the research explores how color functions as a tool for conveying deep thematic elements, enhancing the narrative, and reflecting the emotional and psychological states of the characters. Colors such as red, gold, green, black, white, and blue are shown to symbolize various abstract concepts, including friendship, bravery, immortality, power, love, and death. For instance, red and gold are associated with Gryffindor House values like courage and friendship, while green symbolizes both dark power and the protective love of Harry’s mother. Black is linked to death and darkness, and white signifies purity and sacrifice. By investigating these symbolic associations, the study reveals how Rowling employs color as a narrative device to enrich the reader's understanding of the characters' journeys and the larger themes of good versus evil, sacrifice, and the pursuit of truth. This research highlights the significance of color symbolism as an integral part of the storytelling in the Harry Potter series, providing deeper insights into the novel's thematic layers and the psychological motivations of its characters.

Socialising the Frequency Code: Effects of gender and age on iconic associations of pitcha).

Burgeoning research has shown the pervasiveness of sound symbolism, a type of iconicity, in language. However, little work looks at how individual experiences and beliefs affect sound symbolic associations. We investigate pitch associations under the Frequency Code, which links high vs low pitch to small vs large body size and female vs male gender (via sexual dimorphism), long claimed to underlie "universal" meanings like submissiveness vs dominance. While such associations appear widespread, the Frequency Code assumes ideological links, e.g., between dominance and masculinity, which differ between individuals and cultures. In Implicit Association Task experiments with English-speaking listeners, we show high pitch is implicitly associated with small size and female gender, and low with large and male, following the Frequency Code. Crucially, though, the strength of these associations varies by social factors. Associations are stronger for male voices and listeners, particularly older men, as ideologies related to the Frequency Code (linking large size, strength, and dominance) tend to be stronger for men. The association of pitch with gender is stronger than with body size, reflecting stronger gender-based stereotypes. This work shows that social experience shapes and reinforces iconic associations, with important implications for how iconic meanings develop and are processed.

Watery traces and absences: sensations and speculative histories of an ancient well and a carse landscape

This paper explores how mighty earth processes, aquatic agencies and human practical, political, religious, technological, commercial and environmental interventions have shaped and reshaped a now obscure Scottish holy well and the carse landscape to which it belongs. More specifically, I detail the historic pagan rituals, vigilant religious policing, romantic redesign and extensive terraforming that have informed the changing uses and symbolic associations of these watery realms, demonstrating how they testify to ceaselessly changing human-water relations. I explore how an awareness of particular historical events garnered from diverse texts can be supplemented with affective and sensory engagements with the non-human agencies, vestiges and absences of place. Together, they foster intimations and speculative imaginaries that conjure up speculative watery histories and conjectural futures.

Making connections: ostrich eggshell beads as indicators of precolonial societal interaction in southeastern southern Africa

ABSTRACT Ostriches are peculiar birds and their strangeness has been recognised by southern African hunter-gatherers through multiple symbolic associations. Such qualities are likely to have been enhanced where people had access to beads made from their eggshell but did not have direct knowledge of the birds themselves. Southeastern southern Africa, encompassing the Maloti-Drakensberg Mountains, the eastern half of the Eastern Cape Province and much of KwaZulu-Natal is one such area. We review the unusual attributes and associations of ostriches and their eggshell before briefly summarising previous work that has used strontium isotope analysis to investigate past bead exchange networks in this region. Because bead size can be controlled and patently varies through time and space, we then employ it as another potential indicator of the existence and spatial extent of past social networks. Having critically considered previous efforts in this field, we report on our work to build the largest sample of such data yet obtained in southern Africa and compare our preliminary results with other signals of interaction between precolonial hunter-gatherer and (where applicable) agropastoralist communities.

Toward a solution to retailer food waste? Influences of ordinary transgression on symbolic associations and the relationship with the brand

While the concept of transgression is clearly of interest in marketing literature, its “ordinary” nature remains largely unknown. Yet, in the face of societal challenges, ordinary acts of transgression by brands are becoming increasingly common. This article focuses on the innovative concept of auto-transgression. It examines the case of a supermarket breaking with its own distribution standards to reduce food waste. A study carried out in collaboration with a national chain (896 consumers) shows that, although socially engaging, transgression can ultimately have a negative effect on brand relations. The ambivalence of its contrasting influence on symbolic associations – loss of legitimacy and gain of enterprising character – makes it necessary to think strategically in order to encourage the positive associations of these new, more virtuous standards, particularly those affecting food consumption.

Symbolic association networks: A case study of orchestral programming’s effect on the reputation of composers

A type of symbolic association network for the development of reputation is described and tested. Associations between people in these networks are not based on individual interaction, but rather are created by “reputational entrepreneurs” based on perceived symbolic association between people. We argue the intent of this type of connection is to add to the reputational information about those connected and we test whether a network of such associations influence cultural recognition. To do this, we use dyadic connections between classical music composers created by conductors for orchestra performance and determine whether a composer’s symbolic association network (SAN) aids recognition in publications. We find SANs to have a significant impact on the extent of reputational recognition, even when holding a composer’s individual status achievements constant. Composers with a large symbolic association network and those who bridge unconnected composers tend to receive more recognition. We discuss the influence of symbolic association networks on perception of reputational significance. We suggest SANs may advance research in reputation and culture particularly when considering actors whose reputation is active beyond their work or lifetime, such as artists, writers, musicians, and historical figures.

Sound symbolic associations: evidence from visual, tactile, and interpersonal iconic perception of Mandarin rimes

Sound symbolism refers to the non-arbitrary relationship between phonemes and specific perceptual attributes. Few studies have focused on the sound symbolic associations between Mandarin phonemes and multiple perceptual dimensions, including social attitudes. The main purpose of the current study is to identify the acoustic cues crucial to perceptual judgment on the visual, tactile, and interpersonal dimensions based on the Mandarin rimes. The study found that in addition to the first and second formants, formant transitions and nasal codas were crucial in characterizing sound symbolic associations. Machine learning models also showed that critical acoustic parameters could successfully classify the different perceived attributes of rimes. The study further examined the mechanisms underlying forming a sound symbolic association. Through mediation analyses, the light/heavy dimension proved to have a suppression effect on the politeness and friendliness perception of Mandarin compound rimes (diphthongs and diphthongs with nasal codas /n/ or /ŋ/). This finding suggested that the two potential mechanisms of sound symbolism (i.e., language pattern account and shared-property account) could coexist and interact with each other.

The Goddess on the Lion

This paper focuses on the genesis of the association between the Indian warrior goddess and the lion. As is well-known, this is a goddess with a multifaceted identity, who evokes both imperial grandeur and village cultic practices. This figure cannot be identified as Mahiṣāsuramardinī or Durgā in any Pre-Kuṣāṇa and Kuṣāṇa text or inscription. A considerable influence on her burgeoning representation was probably exercised by Nanā, a Hellenistic goddess, who takes on characteristics of the Mesopotamian Inanna-Ištar, typically associated with lions. Significantly, in the early centuries CE, this feline was still a widespread species on the Subcontinent and had already become identified as the fiercest wild predator, informing the long-lasting lion-warrior imagery. While the background and the rise of Durgā have been the object of several studies, relatively little attention has been paid to her symbolic association with the lion as a key perspective that may contribute to providing a deeper understanding of both the shaping and the significance of this divine figure. By analysing some of the most significant of the earliest iconographic and textual representations, this paper is an initial attempt to employ the feline attribute as a prism to trace the earliest phase in the historical process of the development of the goddess. It may provide insights regarding both the degree of entanglement between local cults and early Hinduism, and the interrelation between the representation of this warrior goddess and kingship ideology in Kuṣāṇa and early Gupta India.

Decoding Phonetic Meaning in a Semantically Meaningful Lexicon: Sound Symbolism in Steam Game Titles

It is widely believed that the marriage between a word’s sound and meaning is not an arranged one. A major exception to this, however, is sound symbolism. Inspired by previous research on the extensive use of sound symbolic associations in naming practices, this study directed attention towards the titles of popular games on Steam, which, unlike brand names, are mostly composed of semantically meaningful lexical items. The results showed that Action/Adventure/RPG game titles contained more voiced obstruents and fewer low vowels than Strategy/Simulation game titles. Additional research could delve into the interplay between semantic and phonetic meanings conveyed by names and titles.

Sound symbolic associations in Spanish emotional words: affective dimensions and discrete emotions

ABSTRACT Sound symbolism refers to non-arbitrary associations between word forms and meaning, such as those observed for some properties of sounds and size or shape. Recent evidence suggests that these connections extend to emotional concepts. Here we investigated two types of non-arbitrary relationships. Study 1 examined whether iconicity scores (i.e. resemblance-based mapping between aspects of a word’s form and its meaning) for words can be predicted from ratings in the affective dimensions of valence and arousal and/or the discrete emotions of happiness, anger, fear, disgust and sadness. Words denoting negative concepts were more likely to have more iconic word forms. Study 2 explored whether statistical regularities in single phonemes (i.e. systematicity) predicted ratings in affective dimensions and/or discrete emotions. Voiceless (/p/, /t/) and voiced plosives (/b/, /d/, /g/) were related to high arousing words, whereas high arousing negative words tended to include fricatives (/s/, /z/). Hissing consonants were also more likely to occur in words denoting all negative discrete emotions. Additionally, words conveying certain discrete emotions included specific phonemes. Overall, our data suggest that emotional features might explain variations in iconicity and provide new insight about phonemic patterns showing sound symbolic associations with the affective properties of words.

The red color in Russian, French and Chinese linguistic cultures on the example of phraseology and proverbs

The research conducted in this article is aimed at analyzing color symbols in Russian, French and Chinese linguistic cultures using the analysis of phraseology and proverbs. The research methodology is based on a comparative analysis of phraseological units and proverbs containing color components in these languages. In the course of the study, both common and unique features in the color symbolism of each of the linguistic cultures under consideration were identified. Through a comparative analysis of phraseology and proverbs in different languages, it was possible to better understand how color embodies cultural norms, worldview and historical contexts in each nation. This allowed us to see which aspects of color are particularly significant for each culture and what associations and symbolic meanings are associated with them. Special attention is paid to the analysis of differences and similarities in the interpretation of color in the idiomatic expressions of each language. This allows us to understand which cultural and historical factors form unique views and ideas about color in each of the linguistic cultures under consideration. The study also highlights that the interpretation of color symbols in idiomatic expressions depends on the cultural and historical contexts of each language. Idioms are a reflection of the collective consciousness and worldview of the people, and the study of color phenomena in idioms helps to better understand national identity and linguistic evolution. In addition, the study found that the red color can acquire different meanings and connotations in different languages, despite common dictionary definitions. This indicates that the use and attitude towards the color red depends on the cultural and historical characteristics of each language group. The scientific novelty of the work lies in the fact that it combines linguistic analysis with the analysis of cultural characteristics and uses the methodology of synergetic symbolism. This approach allows us to understand how the interaction of different colors creates new symbolic meanings and associations specific to each culture.

How do symbolic and non-symbolic spatial-numerical associations develop? Evidence from the parity judgment task and the magnitude comparison task

How do symbolic and non-symbolic spatial-numerical associations develop? Evidence from the parity judgment task and the magnitude comparison task

Simbolismo del puente en The Man Who Would Be King de Huston y Kipling

This article studies the presence of the bridge in The Man Who Would Be King (1975), a John Huston’s representative film shot, as is usually the case, from an adapted screenplay (signed by himself). The meticulous analysis carried out reveals a considerable presence of the bridge (beyond the famous final scene) that activates many of its symbolic associations, especiall those linked to the ideological background of the Kiplingian hypotext, and contributes to interconnect the entire network of signifiers that assemble the film text.

At Midnight I Rise: The Symbolism of Midnight in the Assertion of Jewish-Christian Difference

precis: This essay explores the negotiation of Jewish-Christian difference in the beginning of the Common Era through a comparative study of the symbolic associations of midnight. It comparatively analyzes references to midnight in the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament, as well as their later reception in Jewish and Christian communities, with attention to how the early Christian community adopted Jewish traditions of time and revised them to reinforce emerging Christian concepts. This essay proposes that the divergent symbolic associations of midnight in the two canons illustrate some of the central concerns and self-understandings of early Christian and Jewish communities, which became thematic in the assertion of Jewish-Christian difference during the parting of the ways. It demonstrates that the midnight passages are thematically linked as a time of transformation, but the content of that transformation differs between the two canons, reflecting themes of concern to the communities that developed the texts. Across the passages in the Hebrew Bible, midnight appears to be symbolic of a transformation that leads to the creation or strengthening of the people of Israel. In contrast to the national transformation envisioned in the Hebrew Bible, references to midnight in the New Testament are thematically related in their presentation of midnight as a time of eschatological transformation, symbolizing the turning point from this world to the next world, and reflecting an emerging religious tradition focused on a redemption beyond worldly time. This essay argues that these distinct thematic associations present concepts of transformation that were asserted during the parting of the ways, as the two religious traditions formulated parameters around their identities. It concludes with an exploration of two distinct temporal visions that eventually emerged as the two traditions separated, drawing parallels between the literary symbolism of midnight in the biblical text and later developments in Jewish and Christian perspectives on time.

Corporeal Representations of Lenin in Post‑Soviet Ideological Games

This article discusses the significance of the study of Lenin's corporeality in the context of mass and elite culture of the post-Soviet space. The author highlights the importance of understanding the role of Lenin's images in the ideological and political context and suggests analyzing them using theoretical tools. The article also shows that interest in Lenin's images persists in contemporary mass and elite culture, being realized in such strategies of representation of Lenin's bodily aspects as phantasmagoric mystification, “skomoroshchestvo”, annihilation and dehumanization.
 The phantasmagoric strategy of representing the leader of the world proletariat includes attempts to depict Lenin in unusual and paradoxical bodily images, often with elements of fantasy and mystification. The strategy of “skomoroshchestvo” allows researchers and artists to play with Lenin's image and reinterpret it in a comical and absurd way. The strategy of annihilation emphasizes the contrasting views and emotions associated with Lenin's image in the contemporary world and provokes discussions about the boundaries of art, symbolism and respect for historical figures. The strategy of dehumanizing Lenin in the representation of his corporeal image is expressed in transformations that take him away from his human historical context and reduce him to an object of irony, satire and symbolic associations.

Conceptual and Symbolic Perception of the Homeland Concept by Russians

The article analyzes the ideas of Russians about the Homeland and the conceptual and symbolic associations. This topic is mainly studied within the framework of the analysis of the concept of ‘small motherland’, the development of a program for patriotic education of young people and strengthening the civil identity of Russians. The research methodology is based on the use of secondary data from the All-Russian Center for the Study of Public Opinion, as well as some results of the study of the state of civil identity in the Republic of Bashkortostan within the framework of the projects “Peculiarities of the formation of civil identity of Russians in a multiethnic region (on the example of the Republic of Bashkortostan)” in 2016 (sample size 1000 people) and “Communicative mechanisms of social construction of civil identity of Russians” in 2019 (sample size 751 people). Some trends in the interpretation of the Homeland concept have been recorded. Russians tend to define their homeland through the place where they were born, where their father’s house is located. It is especially characteristic for respondents of the older group to identify this concept with a small homeland, while young people and residents of megacities demonstrate more cosmopolitan attitudes. A certain proportion of respondents associate the concept of homeland with personal well-being. The symbolic perception of the homeland largely coincides with the residents of the Russian Federation: politicians and classic writers are most often heard as personalities associated with Russia. The conceptual and symbolic representation of the homeland is one of the aspects in the study of civil identity, the construction of which is primarily aimed at the formation of a behavioral component in its structure. The proposed results can be used in the educational process and by the authorities in the development of management decisions.

Killing the Angel in the House: The Marble Faun and the Imagination of Violence

ABSTRACT The article offers a specific investigation of female violence as both an explicit and a covert theme of The Marble Faun. Woman’s capacity to inflict harm is not just adumbrated in Miriam’s instigation to murder, but keeps resurfacing in multiple images, fragments, and allusions that mobilize a vast cultural archive. Unlike most readings of Hawthorne’s last completed novel, this article argues that the paradigm of active violence fails to successfully separate the sinfulness of the “dark lady” Miriam from the purity of the “fair maiden” Hilda. Rather, the specter of disruptive agency haunts both characters and appears to be inextricably associated with their identity as self-dependent artists living abroad, inhabiting studios that subvert the nineteenth-century definition of women as private domestic subjects. The symbolic association between female artists, violence, and the erosion of the domestic ideal is further explored through Hawthorne’s subtly unsettling encounters with actual women (Harriet Hosmer, Anna Jameson, Fredrika Bremer) living in Rome, as reported in his journal.

The role of trumpet musical aesthetics in Movement II of Bandung marching band: An analysis in “Bandung 1946”

This study examines the influence of trumpet musical aesthetics in Movement II of the Bandung Marching Band "Bandung 1946," emphasizing the deep correlation between visual and auditory components, historical backdrop, and cultural importance. The focus of this inquiry is the trumpet's capacity to augment a performance's impact through its visual presentation, ornamentation, and symbolic associations with tenacity and defiance, which are rooted in Indonesia's war for independence. The significance of this research is in comprehending how the trumpet's musical aesthetics enhance the total experience and emotional impact of the performance, guaranteeing that the legacy of "Bandung 1946" persists in inspiring and captivating audiences. A descriptive qualitative method was utilized to analyze this musical work's intricate and culturally rich nature. This method entails methodically gathering, arranging, and explaining data while capturing descriptive information through verbal or written language and observable behaviours. The research methodology employed observations and document analysis to collect extensive data on the trumpet's aesthetic and cultural importance. The findings demonstrate that the trumpet's precise synchronization with the music's rhythm and dynamics, strategic embellishments, and historical and cultural symbolism greatly enhance the performance. The combination of visual and audio elements in this synthesis results in a compelling and captivating experience that pays tribute to Indonesia's heritage and enhances its cultural narrative. The descriptive qualitative method successfully captured the intricate and subtle role of the trumpet, showcasing its significance in attaining a powerful and meaningful performance. This study emphasizes the crucial significance of musical aesthetics in establishing a connection between audiences and cultural and historical narratives through performance.

Visualization of isomorphism-synesthesia of colour and music

Music and colour, as human hearing and visual art, are closely related to human psychological feelings and symbolic associations. There is an isomorphic relationship between music and colour. The article uses the concept of “synesthesia” in psychology and the “co-construction” relationship in mathematics as a bridge, based on Kandinsky’s “inner sound” theory and Mallion’s “tone-colour system”, an interdisciplinary theoretical model of “timbre isomorphism synesthesia” (ISCM) is constructed. At the practical level, based on the ISCM theory, a set of timbre synesthesia visualization tools ASAH and visualization processes are designed, through music data input, graphics mapping visualization, colour mapping visualization, real-time interactive visualization, and finally output timbre synesthesia visualization works. In order to avoid the visual homogenization caused by algorithm design, ASHA has set up a custom editor, which emphasizes the individual differences and multi-sensory experience of tonal synesthesia visualization.

Do consumers care about human brands?: A case study of using Zaltman Metaphor Elicitation Technique (ZMET) to map two athletes’ engagements in social and political advocacy

ABSTRACT Research Question We aimed to explore consumers’ perceptions of two athletes and athletes’ engagements in social and political advocacy. Research Methods We conducted 24 individual in-depth, unstructured interviews and applied Zaltman Metaphor Elicitation Technique (ZMET) to reflect deeper feelings and thoughts of consumers and construct a perceptual map. Results and Findings Findings show how the actions of athletes contribute to the building and leveraging of their own brands – symbolic images and key associations of Michael Bennett and Jason Pierre-Paul. Findings reveal that lifestyle, relationship effort, and role model make a difference in creating unique brands. New categories emerged from the analysis of athlete advocacy: views toward advocacy, sport as platforms for advocacy, and ambassadors. Implications We offer unique methodological contributions to scholarship and distinctive associations of selected athletes and provide implications for both professionals and academics in sport.