Researching digital narratives from the Middle East and North Africa: between multimodality and tradition

Wed 12th July 23
2:30 A.M - 4:30 P.M
Clio 040 

Abstract:

Narrative is a mode of communication that occurs in a large number of contexts and includes a wide array of genres. To be more precise, narrative, is a mode of thought that operates through stories “that create a reality of their own” (Bruner 1986: 43). Narrative can operate through various means (stories, interviews, conversations, etc.) and can use different symbolic systems (spoken word, written text, drawings). Today, technology plays an increasing role in human communication, including producing and distributing narrative. The advent of digital/multimodal/multimedia content, has prompted new modes of analysis on featuring the interplay of technology and cultural practices (Kress & Van Leeuwen 2001, Georgakopoulu 2007, Kress 2009). However, these advances in research on multimodality and human communication mostly encompassed the Western culture, while non-Western world, including the Arabic-speaking world, received quite superficial attention from the scholarly world. It would be logical to assume that applying knowledge of literary canons in the Middle East, as well as other specific traits of semiotic systems existing in the Middle East would offer useful insights on the specifics of Middle Eastern digital narrative. With this panel we offer to look into ways of conducting multimodal analysis of Middle Eastern digital narrative.  

Convenors:
Sarali Gintsburg, ICS, University of Navarra
Rosa Pennisi, IREAMAM, University of Aix-Marseille

Ilenia Licitra, University for Foreigners “Dante Alighieri” of Reggio Calabria
Lena Merhej and the languages of comics: images and words in multimodal texts

Teresa Pepe, University of Oslo
The Politics of the Visual in Contemporary Egyptian Literature 

Sarali Gintsburg, ICS, University of Navarra
Mike Baynham, University of Leeds
Many faces of Omar: integrative multimodal analysis of a story of migration found on Youtube. Focus on Positioning

Rosa Pennisi, IREMAM, University of Aix-Marseille
Muḏakkirāt Muʿāḏ l-Ḥāqəd “Min ʿOkāša ilā Molenbeek”: written, audiovisual and multimodal production