A Multimodal Analysis of the “Chinese Professor”: Narrative Construction and Positioning in Economic Hard Times

• In Event: Enacting Ideologies: Studies of Multimodal Discourse in Mediating Macro- and Micro-Social Worlds

Abstract

Objective: This paper explores narrative and multimodality through analysis of a conservative political advertisement. I explore which ideological positions are constructed through multimodal and narrative means at the level of local discourse and in the macro discourses framing American politics and identity.
Theoretical Perspectives: Multimodality focuses on meaning making based in language but also in visual and audio elements as well as gaze, gesture, and movement (Jewitt, 2009; Kress, 2010). Within this paper, multimodality is combined with complementary perspective from Harré and Moghaddam (e.g., 2003) on storyline and positioning, to examine storyline within a socio-cultural and political context.

Data and Context: The primary data source for this paper is a multimedia, political advertisement the “Chinese Professor.” It opens in a lecture hall filled with people with iconic images of China’s communist revolution. An English title appears: “Beijing, China, 2030 AD.” A distinguished professor speaks in Chinese while English text appears in subtitles. The professor asks, “Why do great nations fail?” and replies that “great nations” including the US failed because they abandoned core principles. Onscreen, iconic American images appear. The professor concludes, “So now they [Americans] work for us.”

Methods: Multimodal discourse analysis was used to examine the ad in English and Chinese (Jewitt, 2009; Kress, 2010; Kress & van Leeuwen, 2001). The ad was segmented according to each framing shot. Then each shot was analyzed in multiple layers. For brevity I describe these as: Visual elements (e.g., image and movement, color, gesture, etc.) and Audio (spoken Chinese, English voice-over, etc.). Narrative analysis was used to map the storyline and to determine an underlying metanarrative (McLaren, 1993; Moghaddam, Harré, & Lee, 2008).

Results: Microanalysis of multimodal elements revealed that different modes were used to construct and represent various positions in the moment-by-moment interactions across the narrative. For example, the professor spoke directly in Chinese, so viewers must read the English subtitles. This reinforced the professor’s position as “Other.” In the visual mode as viewers read subtitles, they saw the Chinese professor and behind him iconic, patriotic images of America. Additional shots showed a sea of Chinese faces, and the professor delivered his final statement while gazing directly into the camera. The narrative core as orally delivered was: “The US was once a great nation, but it failed when it abandoned its principles, and as a consequence China dominates America.” The metanarrative was: “The US is currently in decline; our patriotic and national systems are under threat from communist and undemocratic countries like China. We should be afraid of our future and for our country.”

Significance: This analysis reveals construction of macro level ideologies including a jingoistic storyline. These constructs are present in language and are also constructed across various modes. The affordances of different modes leverage powerful emotional weight through image, sound, color, space, movement, gaze, and gesture. These findings help point to the ways that subtle socio-cultural, political and cultural storylines are constructed and how individuals and nations are positioned within them (cf. Moghaddam & Harré, 2010).

Authors

• Mary B. McVee, University at Buffalo - SUNY

• Colette Carse, University at Buffalo/SUNY