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Article published In: Multilingual Landscapes and the Construction of Community
Edited by Leonie Gaiser and Yaron Matras
[Linguistic Landscape 6:2] 2020
► pp. 128–154

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Semiotic rural landscapes and the performance of community in villages

A case study from low German-speaking northern Germany

ORCiD logo with link | Aston University
Published online: 14 July 2020
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/ll.19027.ree
Abstract
This article analyses the semiotic landscapes of 19 villages in Low German-speaking northern Germany, thus contributing to the growing body of research in the field of semiotic landscapes in rural settings. Drawing from Blokland, T. (2017). Community as urban practice. Cambridge: Polity.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar typology of community, it analyses the semiotic landscapes of the villages as material manifestations of communicative practices and performances which create fluid, flexible configurations of community. The analysis reveals that signage in this particular rural context reflects social processes by which individuals and communities have constructed new images of themselves by using elements of local tradition, culture, language, and history. In doing so, they have also carved out a specific approach to tourism for themselves, which is opposed to mass and package tourism.
Abstrakt
In disse Artikel geit dat um de Spraak up Schillers, de buten Husen anbrocht worn sünd. De Autor het all Schillers in negentein Logen in Krummhörn, Ostfreesland unnersöcht. Dortau het se Blokland, T. (2017). Community as urban practice. Cambridge: Polity.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar Systeem van Gemeenskup brukt. Se unnersöcht dat Gelaat van de Logen as’n Resultaat van soziaale Daden, wat to flexible, sük alltied verannerne Förmen van Gemeenskup föhren deit. Daarbi kummt herut dat Schillers in disse Kuntrei soziaale Prozessen reflektern doon un dat de de Dörpslüü naje Biller van sük konstruert heben. Daarto bruken se Stückjes van de Kultuur, de Spraak (Nedderdütsk), de Historje und de Talen, mit de se in Ostfreesland upwursn sünd. Up disse Wies warven se ok um een besüner Slag van Turisten.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.The area under observation
  • 3.Data and methodological approach
  • 4.Analysis
    • 4.1Economic Transactions
    • 4.2Attachments
    • 4.3Bonds: Celebrations and conflict
  • 5.Conclusion
  • Notes
  • References
References (50)
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