Dog blogs as ventriloquism: Authentication of the human voice. (June 2015)
- Record Type:
- Journal Article
- Title:
- Dog blogs as ventriloquism: Authentication of the human voice. (June 2015)
- Main Title:
- Dog blogs as ventriloquism: Authentication of the human voice
- Authors:
- Leppänen, Sirpa
- Abstract:
- Abstract: This paper looks at personal blogging by dog owners in an international, English language blogsite in which dog owners from around the world report and reflect upon their dogs and their lives with dogs, and do so by using the dog׳s voice. It approaches dog blogs as an example of the strategic use of pervasive but contentious anthropomorphic western discourses about animals and discusses how dog bloggers use anthropomorphism as a discursive means for crafting and collectively ratifying authenticity in a translocal, interest-driven and informal social media context in which traditional territorial and demographic parameters of authenticity are not easily available or relevant. More specifically, the paper shows how the discursive means for authentication in dog blogging entail deliberate acts of ventriloquism and stylization. It analyses the ways in which these function to authenticate bloggers socially and morally as legitimate participants in dog blogging and as particular kinds of persons. Further, it discusses how a range of norms associated with blogging, on the one hand, and historically specific discourses about humans and companion animals, on the other hand, are recontextualized for the purposes of the socio-cultural niche in question. Particular attention is paid to how linguistic and discursive features associated with diary writing, as well as to how western discourses of dogs and animals are mobilized in the establishment, maintenance and regulation ofAbstract: This paper looks at personal blogging by dog owners in an international, English language blogsite in which dog owners from around the world report and reflect upon their dogs and their lives with dogs, and do so by using the dog׳s voice. It approaches dog blogs as an example of the strategic use of pervasive but contentious anthropomorphic western discourses about animals and discusses how dog bloggers use anthropomorphism as a discursive means for crafting and collectively ratifying authenticity in a translocal, interest-driven and informal social media context in which traditional territorial and demographic parameters of authenticity are not easily available or relevant. More specifically, the paper shows how the discursive means for authentication in dog blogging entail deliberate acts of ventriloquism and stylization. It analyses the ways in which these function to authenticate bloggers socially and morally as legitimate participants in dog blogging and as particular kinds of persons. Further, it discusses how a range of norms associated with blogging, on the one hand, and historically specific discourses about humans and companion animals, on the other hand, are recontextualized for the purposes of the socio-cultural niche in question. Particular attention is paid to how linguistic and discursive features associated with diary writing, as well as to how western discourses of dogs and animals are mobilized in the establishment, maintenance and regulation of the global practice about dogs in a way that is highly indexical of idealized, classed gender. Highlights: The global practice of blogging about dogs is an example of the significance of authentication in social media practice. In informal, interest-based social media practices authentication requires consent, uptake and regulation of a particular discursive orientation. In blogging about dogs discursive authentication involves stylization and ventriloquism. In stylization and ventriloquism, bloggers mobilize linguistic and discursive features associated with diary writing and western discourses of dogs and the dog–human relationship. Dog blogging is highly indexical of idealized, classed gender. … (more)
- Is Part Of:
- Discourse, context & media. Volume 8(2015)
- Journal:
- Discourse, context & media
- Issue:
- Volume 8(2015)
- Issue Display:
- Volume 8, Issue 2015 (2015)
- Year:
- 2015
- Volume:
- 8
- Issue:
- 2015
- Issue Sort Value:
- 2015-0008-2015-0000
- Page Start:
- 63
- Page End:
- 73
- Publication Date:
- 2015-06
- Subjects:
- Blogging -- Authentication -- Stylization -- Diary writing -- Dogs -- Anthropomorphism
Discourse analysis -- Periodicals
Digital media -- Periodicals
Mass media and language -- Periodicals
Communication -- Periodicals
Communication
Digital media
Discourse analysis
Mass media and language
Periodicals
401.4105 - Journal URLs:
- http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/22116958 ↗
http://www.sciencedirect.com/ ↗ - DOI:
- 10.1016/j.dcm.2015.05.005 ↗
- Languages:
- English
- ISSNs:
- 2211-6958
- Deposit Type:
- Legaldeposit
- View Content:
- Available online (eLD content is only available in our Reading Rooms) ↗
- Physical Locations:
- British Library DSC - BLDSS-3PM
British Library HMNTS - ELD Digital store - Ingest File:
- 8043.xml