Contrasting Systemic Functional Linguistic and Situated Literacies Approaches to Multimodality in Literacy and Writing Studies

Written Communication Jul 2013

Contrasting Systemic Functional Linguistic and Situated Literacies Approaches to Multimodality in Literacy and Writing Studies

Kate T. Anderson Arizona State University

Abstract

Against the backdrop of proliferating research on multimodality in the fields of literacy and writing studies, this article considers the contributions of two prominent theoretical perspectives—Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) and Situated Literacies—and the methodological tensions they raise for the study of multimodality. To delineate these two perspectives’ methodological tensions, I present an analysis of selected recent literature from both approaches and then analyze these tensions further as they emerge in two empirical studies published in this journal illustrating each approach. Despite the fact that SFL and Situated Literacies share some underlying theoretical assumptions and are sometimes drawn upon in concert by scholars, I illustrate how they differ in their treatment of multimodal texts and practices—as well as their methodologies—research design, data collected, analytic methods, and possible implications. This article thus seeks to outline the respective contributions of SFL and Situated Literacies to ongoing research on multimodality in literacy and writing studies and to encourage a conversation across theoretical and methodological borders.

Journal: Written Communication
Published: 2013-07-01
DOI: 10.1177/0741088313488073
Open Access: Closed
Topics: multimodality multilingual writers

Citation Context

Cited by in this index (2)

Cimasko et al. (2017)

Multimodal Resemiotization and Authorial Agency in an L2 Writing Classroom

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Anderson et al. (2017)

Seeing Academically Marginalized Students’ Multimodal Designs From a Position o…

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Cites in this index (5)

Gilje (2010)

Multimodal Redesign in Filmmaking Practices: An Inquiry of Young Filmmakers’ De…

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Vasudevan et al. (2010)

Rethinking Composing in a Digital Age: Authoring Literate Identities Through Mu…

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Nelson et al. (2008)

Challenges of Multimedia Self-Presentation

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Bezemer et al. (2008)

Writing in Multimodal Texts

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Ranker (2008)

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