Cover not available
Article published In:
Multimodality, Politics and Ideology
Edited by David Machin and Theo van Leeuwen
[Journal of Language and Politics 15:3] 2016
► pp. 259–273

Software as ideology

A multimodal critical discourse analysis of Microsoft Word and SmartArt

 | University of Agder, Norway
Software has become ubiquitous in higher education, especially often taken-for-granted Microsoft Word. Educational writing involves more than horizontal lines of text, but also multimodal representations. When students write in Word, the affordances of the program constrain what multimodal representations of knowledge they can and cannot make. Software such as Word is not neutral tool-kits, but also historical and semiotic constructs loaded with social values and ideologies. By taking a social semiotic approach to Word and SmartArt, this article shows how this software is pre-loaded with values and styles from office management. These values are then infused into education, in the case this article investigates, grammar models in language studies.
Keywords: Software, SmartArt, Microsoft Word, template, education, multimodality, standardization, semiotic technology, style
Published online: 4 August 2016
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/jlp.15.3.02kva
References (30)
Adami, Elizabetta, and Gunther Kress. 2010. “The Social Semiotics of Convergent Mobile Devices: New Forms of Composition and the Transformation of Habitus”. In Multimodality. A social Semiotic Approach to Contemporary Communication by Gunther Kress, 184–204. London: Routledge.Google Scholar
Arlov, Per. 1997. Microsoft Office 97 – Professional. Oslo: IDG Books.Google Scholar
Bertelsen, Olav, and Søren Pold. 2004. “Criticism as an Approach to Interface Aesthetics.” In Proceedings of the third Nordic Conference on Human-Computer Interaction, 23–32. New York: ACM. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Danielsen, Kristin. 1991. Innføringskurs i Microsoft Word [Introduction Course to Microsoft Word]. Sandefjord: Easy Data.Google Scholar
Djonov, Emilia, and Theo van Leeuwen. 2011. “The Semiotics of Texture.” Visual Communication 10(4): 541–564. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
. 2013a. “Between the Grid and Composition: Layout in PowerPoint’s Design and Use.” Semiotica 1971: 1–34. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
. 2013b. “Bullet Points, New Writing, and the Marketization of Public Discourse. A Critical Multimodal Perspective.” In Critical Multimodal Studies of Popular Discourse, edited by Emilia Djonov, and Sumin Zhao, 232–250. London: Routledge. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Edwards, Benji. 2008. “Microsoft Word Turns 25” I In PC World. Accessed December 10. 2015 [URL].
Fairclough, Norman. 2003. Analysing Discourse. Textual Analysis for Social Research. London and New York: Routledge. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
. 1996. “Technologisation of Discourse”. In Text and Practices. Readings in Critical Discourse Analysis, edited by Carmen Caldas-Couthard, and Malcolm Coulthard, 71–83. London: Routledge.Google Scholar
. 1995. Critical Discourse Analysis. The Critical Study of Language. London: Harlow.Google Scholar
Forbes. Undated. “The World’s Biggest Public Companies.” Accessed December 10. 2015, [URL].
Fuller, Matthew (ed.). 2008. Software Studies – a Lexicon. Cambridge: MIT Press. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
. 2003. Behind the Blip – Essays on the Culture of Software. New York: Autonomedia.Google Scholar
Husby, Monica, Kjell Willersrud, and Roar Fjeldbo. 1994. Microsoft Word 6.0. Videregående kurs. Med øvingsdiskett [Microsoft Word 6.0 Advanced Course. With Exercise Disk]. Sandefjord: Easy Data.Google Scholar
Husby, Monica, Roar Fjeldbo, and Kjell Willersrud. 1995. Microsoft Word – versjon 6.0, norsk. Videregående kurs – med øvingsdiskett [Microsoft Word – Version 6.0, Norwegian. Advanced Course - with Exercise Disk]. Sandefjord: Easy Data.Google Scholar
Jewitt, Carey, and Gunther Kress. 2003. Multimodal Literacy. New York: Peter Lang.Google Scholar
Kress, Gunther, and Theo van Leeuwen. 2006 [1996]. Reading Images. The Grammar of Visual Design. London: Routledge. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Kuldbrandstad, Lars Anders. 2005. Språkets mønstre. Grammatiske begreper og metoder [Patterns of language. Grammatical Concepts and Methods]. Oslo: Universitetsforlaget.Google Scholar
Kvåle, Gunhild. 2015. “Multimodale modellar i Microsoft Word. Programvare som semiotisk ressurs” [Multimodal Models in Microsoft Word. Software as Semiotic Resource]. In Kontekst, språk og multimodalitet. Nyere sosialsemiotiske perspektiver [Context, Language and Multimodality. New Perspectives from Social Semiotics], edited by Gunhild Kvåle, Eva Maagerø, and Aslaug Veum, 153–169. Bergen: Fagbokforlaget.Google Scholar
Ljunggren, Margaret. 1998. Avansert Microsoft Word 97. Step by Step [Advanced Microsoft Word 97. Step by Step]. Nesbru: Vett & Viten AS.Google Scholar
Machin, David, and Andrea Mayr. 2012. How to do Critical Discourse Analysis. A Multimodal Introduction. Los Angeles: Sage.Google Scholar
Machin, David, and Theo van Leeuwen. 2005. “Language Style and Lifestyle: the Case of a Global Magazine.” Media, Culture & Society 27 (4): 577–600. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Manovich, Lev. 2001. The Language of New Media. Cambridge: MIT Press.Google Scholar
. 2013. Software Takes Command. New York: Bloomsbury.Google Scholar
Microsoft. Undated. “Create a SmartArt Graphic.” Accessed December 10. 2015, [URL].
. 1983. “Undo. Windows.” (Microsoft Word advertisment). Retrieved from Byte. The Small Systems Journal 8 (12): 90–91.Google Scholar
Van Leeuwen, Theo. 2005. Introducing Social Semiotics. London: Routledge.Google Scholar
Van Leeuwen, Theo, Emilia Djonov, and Kay O’Halloran. 2013. “David Byrne really does Love PowerPoint. Art as Research on Semiotics and Semiotic Technology.” Social Semiotics 23 (3): 490–423. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Zhao, Sumin, Emilia Djonov, and Theo van Leeuwen. 2014. “Semiotic Technology and Practice: a Multimodal Social Semiotic Approach to PowerPoint.” Text & Talk 34(3): 349–375. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Cited by (17)

Cited by 17 other publications

Fakalou, Christina
2024. The Sociolinguistics of Asylum Decision-Writing in the Context of the Greek Appeals Authority. International Journal for the Semiotics of Law - Revue internationale de Sémiotique juridique 37:2 ► pp. 305 ff. DOI logo
Jones, Rodney H.
2024. Surveillance at the (inter)face: A nexus analysis. Discourse, Context & Media 62 ► pp. 100832 ff. DOI logo
Berglez, Peter & Otto Hedenmo
2023. The mediatedness of interorganizational collaboration. How collaboration materializes through affordances, chains, and switches. Organization DOI logo
Eriksson, Göran & Lame Maatla Kenalemang
2023. How cosmetic apps fragmentise and metricise the female face: A multimodal critical discourse analysis. Discourse & Communication 17:3 ► pp. 278 ff. DOI logo
Knight, Janine, Melinda Dooly & Elena Barberà
2023. Getting smart: towards critical digital literacy pedagogies. Social Semiotics 33:2 ► pp. 326 ff. DOI logo
Schnaider, Karoline
2023. “The influence of technological designs on teachers’ and students’ meaning-making: Semiotic chains configuring teaching and learning activities”. Computers and Education Open 4 ► pp. 100136 ff. DOI logo
Rasmussen, Gitte & Theo van Leeuwen
2022. Special issue: The human touch – Analyzing online and offline shopping. Discourse & Communication 16:2 ► pp. 149 ff. DOI logo
van Leeuwen, Theo
2021.  Ad-appting children’s stories. In The Pragmatics of Adaptability [Pragmatics & Beyond New Series, 319], ► pp. 101 ff. DOI logo
van Leeuwen, Theo
2024. Determination and agency in the work of Gunther Kress. Text & Talk 44:4 ► pp. 527 ff. DOI logo
He, Yufei & Theo van Leeuwen
2020. Animation and the remediation of school physics – a social semiotic approach. Social Semiotics 30:5 ► pp. 665 ff. DOI logo
Simpson, Zach & Arlene Archer
2019. Semiotic technologies: a case study of discipline-based practices and pedagogy. Social Semiotics 29:4 ► pp. 524 ff. DOI logo
Jovanovic, Danica & Theo Van Leeuwen
2018. Multimodal dialogue on social media. Social Semiotics 28:5 ► pp. 683 ff. DOI logo
Moschini, Ilaria
2018. Social semiotics and platform studies: an integrated perspective for the study of social media platforms. Social Semiotics 28:5 ► pp. 623 ff. DOI logo
Poulsen, Søren Vigild & Gunhild Kvåle
2018. Studying social media as semiotic technology: a social semiotic multimodal framework. Social Semiotics 28:5 ► pp. 700 ff. DOI logo
Poulsen, Søren Vigild, Gunhild Kvåle & Theo van Leeuwen
2018. Special issue: Social media as semiotic technology. Social Semiotics 28:5 ► pp. 593 ff. DOI logo
Kvåle, Gunhild
2016. 9 Å kommunisere fagkunnskap digitalt. In Hva gjør lærerstudenter når de studerer?, ► pp. 204 ff. DOI logo
Kvåle, Gunhild
2024. 5. Kritisk literacy og digitale medieteknologier. Kritisk arbeid med virkelighetsversjonene til Google Images og Getty Images. In Det tekstkritiske klasserommet, ► pp. 127 ff. DOI logo

This list is based on CrossRef data as of 9 january 2025. Please note that it may not be complete. Sources presented here have been supplied by the respective publishers. Any errors therein should be reported to them.