An Investigation of the Use of Language, Social Identity and Multicultural Values for Nation-Building in Malaysian Outdoor Advertising

Siti Nor Amalina Ahmad Tajuddin and Noraini Zulkepli
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Siti Nor Amalina Ahmad Tajuddin: Department of Communication and Media, Faculty of Languages and Communication, Sultan Idris Education University, Perak Darul Ridzuan 35900, Malaysia
Noraini Zulkepli: Department of English Language and Literature, Faculty of Languages and Communication, Sultan Idris Education University, Perak Darul Ridzuan 35900, Malaysia

Social Sciences, 2019, vol. 8, issue 1, 1-10

Abstract: The mass media in the form of advertising is extensively employed in the process of nation-building in Malaysia. Advertising has been used as an important tool for educating the public about State issues, ensuring diverse cultures are equally represented and the multicultural values are emphasized to the fullest. The objective of the present study is to investigate how outdoor advertising, particularly billboards, promotes the language, social identity, and multicultural values of Malaysian society for nation-building. In Malaysia, the extensive use of advertisements has been argued as one of the most powerful mechanisms to enhance Malaysian identity, foster interactions and thus contribute to the process of nation-building even though it is portrayed in a banal and routine way. To achieve its objective, this paper utilizes semiotic methodology to examine 11 billboards to understand the relationships between texts and visuals that communicate messages to the public. The findings revealed that the billboards do not only communicate pro-social messages, but also reflect the language, social identity and multicultural values of Malaysian society towards nation-building. This study expands the work of outdoor advertising within the Malaysian society and contributes to Semiotic Analysis by examining textual-visual elements of billboards.

Keywords: nation-building; outdoor advertising; billboard; banal; language; social identity; multicultural values; semiotic analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A B N P Y80 Z00 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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