The Multimodal Hermeneutic-Cultural Discourse (MHCD) Model as a Lens on Citizen-Authored Expressions of Saudi National Identity

Bibliographic Data

ID22007065
AuthorsNaif Alqurashi (0000-0001-8673-1100, Taif University, corresponding author), Dalia M Hamed (0000-0002-6000-851X, Tanta University, corresponding author)
Year2026
Volume16
Issue1
Publication date2026-01-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueSAGE Open (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2158-2440 • E-ISSN: 2158-2440
PublisherSAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/21582440251409664
OpenAlexW7139065265
LanguageEN
References cited19

This study investigates how Saudi National Identity (SNI) is performed through citizen-authored multimodal texts commemorating the 94th Saudi National Day. It introduces the Multimodal Hermeneutic-Cultural Discourse (MHCD) Model—a novel triadic framework integrating Cultural Discourse Studies (CuDS), visual grammar, and philosophical hermeneutics—to analyze how meaning emerges across visual and verbal modes. Fifteen image-caption pairs were purposively selected and examined across five thematic domains: heritage and ancestral continuity, gendered kinship and relational identity, faith and moral vision, unity and national power, and youth and futurity. Visual features such as traditional dress, ritual gestures, spatial icons, and collective presence express cultural memory as embodied practice. Verbal texts reinforce belonging through speech acts that commemorate ancestry, affirm shared values, and project futurity—evident in expressions like “our roots,” “for God and the nation,” and “the future is in our hands.” The hermeneutic synthesis reveals that meaning is not inherent in image or text alone, but arises through their dialogic convergence. Findings demonstrate that Saudi identity is actively performed through multimodal composition as a lived, ethical, and future-oriented discourse. This study contributes to multimodal discourse analysis by offering a culturally grounded model for interpreting vernacular nationalism and highlights the expressive agency of ordinary citizens in shaping national belonging through symbolic participation

Dialogic · Discourse analysis · Embodied cognition · Multimodality · National identity · Vernacular · Discourse Analysis in Language Studies · Language, Metaphor, and Cognition · Socioeconomic Development in MENA

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Open DOIOpen Access