Gibson, W;
Huang, P;
Yun, Q;
(2018)
Emoji and communicative action: The semiotics, sequence and gestural actions of 'face covering hand'.
Discourse, Context & Media
10.1016/j.dcm.2018.05.005.
(In press).
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Abstract
This paper uses conversation analysis to explore the communicative functions of one emoji in a mobile reading community in China. In contrast to semiotic approaches to emoji that focus on their cultural signification, or that treat them as reflections of users’ inner intensions, we analyse emoji as communication phenomena by exploring their relation to other textual actions in the production of text-talk. The emoji analysed here functioned as a laughter token, and performed specific interactional work related to laughter. We conclude that conversation analysis offers an important corrective to abstracted semiotic analysis and a useful resource for exploring the demonstrable meaning of emoji for interlocutors. However, we also emphasise the importance of capturing the process of composing messages, the challenges of dealing with the variety of forms that emoji take and their relation to gestural and other actions in face to face communication.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | Emoji and communicative action: The semiotics, sequence and gestural actions of 'face covering hand' |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.dcm.2018.05.005 |
| Publisher version: | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dcm.2018.05.005 |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | This version is the author accepted manuscript. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher’s terms and conditions. |
| Keywords: | Emoji, Conversation analysis, Semiotics, Speech act theory |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education > IOE - Culture, Communication and Media |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10048955 |
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