Dear Fiona,
It is very nice to have your message. I heard about you from Dr. Kevin
Hilton from our Research Centre. I hope the following description will
add clarity to what I am trying to achieve:
Flairclough's critical discourse analysis will be appropriate for
exploring the meaning conflicts in the clothing context. Since my
focusing domain is performance wear in which meaning issues are more
likely centralised. The targeted group may be the regular customers in
sport/performance wear retail shops. The questions asked will be
open-ended questions which allow interviewee to provide narratives or
"storylines", i.e., "when shopping for this type of performance wear,
what would typically encourage you to go looking around and what sort of
things would you likely be looking for? Could you give an example as if
telling the story of your shopping experience to a friend?"
The analysis will be focusing investigation of meaning changed by
individual experience in that particular social practice. The narrative
or "storyline" will indicate some comparison change in personal
experience over the described timeline.
Since my focal point is performance wear, I will be more interested in
defining clothing rather than fashion. Fashion is a "hybrid subject"
that Fashion study involves multi-disciplinary studies and normally in
abstract sense. Fashion is in a wider sense of context. However clothing
which is defined as clothes and adornments is embedded in the sense of
Fashion.
To answer the question of how semantics meaning is interpreted, I would
see a garment as a single entity of sign even though as we may argue
that there are different levels of constructions further down the line.
The meaning of this particular sign is defined by its unique and precise
position in the relationship system of other signs, as the structurists
propose that they are fixed in given historical period, i.e., language.
However, as post-structurists suggest that the internal relations within
these signs are never totally fixed. In fashion sense, the meanings
determined by the internal relations are constantly challenged and
transformed by various social forces. The individual interpretation of
other people's garment in this sense is passive and need to gather
sufficient of information to "correctly" identify the meaning embedded
in the garment. However, individual is also the force through discourse
to challenge and transform the meaning of these signs (garments).
Let me know if any further question otherwise I look forward to your
comment.
Best regards,
Bo
-----Original Message-----
From: PhD-Design - This list is for discussion of PhD studies and
related research in Design [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf
Of Fiona Jane Candy
Sent: 14 January 2008 23:53
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Discourse analysis
Hi Bo
Very interested to hear more about your PhD topic - it is very rare to
hear of a topic like yours on this list!!
Please may I ask a few questions that will help me respond to yours?
1. Can you tell me some more about your reference to discourse analysis
- e.g How will you collect discourse for analysis? What questions will
you ask? Who will you ask? Where will you ask them?
2. Will you illustrate the discourse in any way ? (i.e. will you
document what is being described/discussed/ and if so how?)
3. How do you define 'fashion'?
4. How do you define 'clothing'? (same or different as fashion?)
Your definition of semantics in the clothing context intrigues me- it
implies that there are textual or symbolic messages inherent in
garments that although shifting can be readily deciphered....I am
interested to know more about how you will you account for the various
'messages' being sent and interpreted by the individuals wearing the
clothes? i.e in relation to how the clothes are being worn and by whom
? e.g The communicative aesthetics of the wearer?
Look forward to hearing more
Fiona
www.a-brand.co.uk
>>> Bo Tsang <[log in to unmask]> 01/14/08 5:13 pm >>>
Dear Colleagues,
My PhD topic is to develop a toolkit for the fashion professions, to
investigate trend information through means of identifying changes in
perceived meaning and message in clothing.
As most might agree, clothing has a communicative capability. Clothing
semantic can be defined as the messages communicated about the identity
and intentions of the individual by their clothes and adornments. The
meanings of these semantic messages are no different from the meanings
of other signs, such as text and visual images, which are not inevitably
fixed. They are continually challenged and changed by various forces in
social practice. It is proposed that these changes influence individuals
'search and purchase' perception and behaviour.
The present route forward for me is to deploy discourse analysis to
identify the changing messages within the clothing context, first by
analysing narratives of 'storylines' elicited of respondents search and
purchase intent.
I would like to hear other people's views as to whether discourse
analysis would be an effective approach in this context? I also wonder
if any similar research is known to be being undertaken using discourse
analysis, any experience that can be shared.
Kind regards
Bo
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