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The pragmatics of emotion in socio-cultural contexts

A model for the analysis of David Bowie’s spontaneous memorial in London

 | Universidad Autónoma de Madrid
Published online: 31 October 2025
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https://doi.org/10.1075/prag.24034.hid
Abstract
This article develops a pragmatic model for the analysis of emotion in socio-cultural contexts and applies it to the study of the messages written on David Bowie’s mural/memorial in London. The data consists of 584 messages written and drawn on the mural between February and December 2016, after the artist’s death. The model allows for the analysis of the semiotic resources used for the expression of emotive pragmatic acts and their intensification. Results show that all the messages contain emotive pragmatic acts, which include the expression of emotions such as love and missing, the expression of good wishes, blessing, thanking, praise, commitment to remembrance and tribute. Emotive pragmatic acts are expressed mostly verbally but also visually. Emotion is more frequently expressed covertly by figurative means and evoking positive connotations. Emotion is intensified by recurrent lexical (hyperbole) and non-lexical (orthographic, grammatical) means.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Spontaneous memorial discourse: David Bowie’s mural/memorial in London
    • 2.1Spontaneous memorials and the expression of parasocial grief
    • 2.2David Bowie’s mural/memorial in London
  • 3.Literature review
  • 4.A model for the pragmatic analysis of emotion
  • 5.Data and method
    • 5.1Data
    • 5.2Method
      • 5.2.1Units of analysis
        • Utterance
        • Pragmatic act
        • C-units
        • Emotive pragmatic acts
        • Overt and covert strategies for the expression of emotion
  • 6.Analysis and discussion
    • 6.1RQ1. To what extent are messages verbal, visual or verbo-pictorial?
    • 6.2RQ2. What emotive pragmatic acts are performed?
    • 6.3RQ3. To what extent is emotion expressed overtly or covertly?
    • 6.4RQ4. To what extent is emotion expressed by figurative or non-figurative means?
    • 6.5RQ5. What connotations are conveyed by the messages?
    • 6.6RQ6. What resources are available for the intensification of emotion in the mural?
  • 7.Conclusions
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • References
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