ABSTRACT
In this chapter, we shall take as the point of departure some central themes covered by the interviews in toto. These themes shall be discussed by combining answers from the five interviewees, and, as such, this concluding chapter shall create a (kind of artificial) dialogue among them. If used as an entry to the interviews, this chapter will serve as a guide to the various thematic similarities and differences among our five scholars. At the same time, the discussion of similarities, differences and nuances highlights major motifs in the thinking of the five scholars, and, as such, this chapter may function as a more generally usable companion for understanding the somewhat diverse field of social semiotics. The themes in this chapter cover such diverse areas as systems and concepts; multimodality; social critique and design; functions and applications; future challenges; and hopes and aspirations. We close the chapter with some meta-reflections.
