ABSTRACT
Chapter 2 sets out the theoretical foundation for the analysis in the following chapters. Adopting a social semiotic approach, the analysis includes three interrelated components, namely, developing frameworks to model multimodal semiotic resources for meaning making, describing patterns of meaning-making choices, and explaining contextual factors which motivate the choices. Frameworks of visual grammar, visual metaphor, evaluative meaning, and context are introduced. The social semiotic principles provide an overall frame that guides the formulation of research questions, while specific analytical frameworks about meaning making provide ways of searching for answers. The approach also highlights the integration of different theoretical frameworks for issue-based multimodal analysis. Moreover, it is pointed out that the descriptive frameworks only serve to provide an explicit basis for subsequent interpretations and explanations, which need to draw upon theories and findings from other fields. It also accentuates the need to adopt a localized perspective so that the explanation of meaning-making practices is fully situated in its social, cultural and historical contexts.
