Can we really free ourselves from stereotypes? A semiotic point of view on clichés and disability studies

Bibliographic Data

ID3129548
AuthorsClaudio Paolucci (0000-0003-3038-5266, University of Bologna , Bologna , Italy), Paolo Martinelli (0000-0002-2409-5329, University of Bologna , Bologna , Italy, corresponding author), Martina Bacaro (0000-0001-5880-4739, University of Bologna , Bologna , Italy)
Year2023
Volume2023
Issue253
Pages193-226
Publication date2023-09-26
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueSemiotica (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0037-1998 • E-ISSN: 1613-3692
PublisherWalter de Gruyter GmbH (PUBLISHER • DE)
DOI10.1515/sem-2022-0034
OpenAlexW4386485420
LanguageEN
Citations received5
References cited13

In this paper, we try to build a semiotics of stereotypes through the key idea of enunciation. We investigate stereotypes of Persons with Disabilities in the context of social media networks (e.g., Facebook, Instagram) by adopting a semiotic perspective. The mainstream idea about stereotypes is that they are necessarily something negative, that must be avoided to maximize inclusivity and fairness. However, in our view, stereotypes are the background of our perception of the world, and we cannot escape from them, because when we leave behind a stereotype, it is only for adopting a new one built on a different basis. Therefore, it is crucial to understand stereotypes and the way they are expressed, since they are one of the enunciating instances that circulate in the space of the Encyclopedia. Through a semiotic point of view, we will follow how stereotypes transform, showing the way they change the modes of existence of meanings, shifting between the virtualized, the potentialized, the actualized, and the realized. Analyzing a huge corpus of social network messages built by the partners of the European project MeMe (Me & the Media: Fostering Social Media Literacy competences through Interactive Learning Settings for Adults with Disabilities), we will show how the advent of social media affected the research field of disability studies. Later, we will point out the variations of the classic stereotypes that have been addressed in the new participatory context of social media through the semiotic theory of enunciation

Citizen journalism · Context (archaeology) · Epistemology · Mainstream · Perception · Perspective (graphical) · Point (geometry) · Political science · Semiotics · Social media · Social semiotics · Sociology · Stereotype (UML) · Computer Science · Digital Communication and Language · Discourse Analysis in Language Studies · Literacy, Media, and Education · Psychology · Social Psychology

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