Occupy Baltimore: A Linguistic Landscape Analysis of Participatory Social Contestation in an American City

Abstract

[from the editors' introduction] Hanauer (Chapter 10) focuses on the Occupy Baltimore demonstration, a satellite manifestation of the broader Occupy Wall Street movement that arose in the {US} in 2011 in response to a range of social and economic policies and realities. Utilizing comprehensive photographic documentation, the study examines the types of multimodal representational genres present at this form of political demonstration and the political role/function of each of these genres. The overall objective of this demonstration was to give voice and visibility to the 99 per cent of the population who from the perspective of the Occupy Baltimore protesters were unjustly treated within the political and economic system in the {US} resulting from the control of the wealthiest 1 per cent. In relation to the content of this social movement the analysis of these multimodal genres aimed to explicate the types of political messages advanced through this form of political action. The results reveal several different representational genres: handmade signs, banners, clothing, flags, tents and leaflets. Dramatic interjection, provision of information and statements of affiliation and identification were found to be the functions of this linguistic landscape as political discourse. Of particular interest to the study is the way in which the linguistic landscape was used to generate and mark active participation by passers-by in the creation of the statements displayed. Hanauer argues that the participatory form of linguistic landscape in this case is a form of legitimized (although still illegal) graffiti, and fulfills similar expressive and psychological functions.