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Article published In:
The interpersonal functions of public signs during the Covid-19 pandemic
Edited by Eva Ogiermann
[Pragmatics and Society 14:2] 2023
► pp. 236–256

Pragmatic functions of humor in Berlin’s directive Covid-19 Signs

ORCID logo | European University Viadrina

This paper deals with the pragmatic functions of verbal and visual humor in Covid-19 related directive signs. Within the framework of material and social semiotics, I analyze humorous directive signs from the Berlin district Friedrichshain communicating hygiene rules and proper social behavior during the re- opening phase of local businesses after the first lockdown in 2020. The interplay of multilingual, graphic and intertextual features in the signs reveals two pragmatic functions: On the one hand, they express hygienic measures; on the other hand, the signs do relational work and foster community-building aimed at both general and very specific audiences. This is done by drawing humorously on community-specific intertextuality requiring cultural literacies based on community-specific knowledge. The signs are, thus, not limited to mere instructions for action addressed to a general audience, but are designed for specific groups of addressees thereby showing the socially and spatially fragmented diversity of Berlin’s public sphere.

Keywords: Covid-19 pandemic, directive signs, Berlin, humor, multimodality, community-building
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Theoretical background
    • 2.1Directives, public signs and social semiotics
    • 2.2Humor in directive signs
  • 3.Methodology
  • 4.Data collection
  • 5.Data analysis
    • 5.1General addressees and humor in Covid-19 directives
    • 5.2Double-layered humor in Covid-19 directives
    • 5.3Community specific humor in Covid-19 directives
  • 6.Discussion and conclusion
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 6 July 2023
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/ps.22010.val
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