| dc.description.abstract | In mainstream linguistics, context is either entirely ignored or dominantly viewed as an objective
property of the external world. For instance, in sociolinguistics or pragmatics, scholars frequently
attempt to learn about the meaning of words or sentences given certain social context. The social
semiotic method presented in this paper challenges the objectivity of context and explores the
dynamic between content and context from the perspective of Peircian semiotics. An episode of a
children animations series, Bubble Guppies, where human-like mermaids learn about the mysteries
of ancient Egypt, is used as a point of departure to show that content and context recursively coconstruct
with viewers' participation. For instance, while there is little physical similarity between
where the Guppies meet in the show's story and a typical classroom, the context of a classroom is
clearly established through the way the Guppies interact with each other and with objects they
encounter. Additionally, the results indicate that learning is an important product of such contextconstruction,
as TV viewers must constantly elaborate on events and link interactions that are
perceived not as objects but as signs entangled in a growing web of symbolic system. | |
