Signifying the Transition from Modern to Post-Modern Schooling... 11base of communications in school which constitutes the other dimension of framing i.e. the
regulative discourse is influenced by the material environment of schools.
3. A SOCIO-SEMIOTIC INVENTORY FOR ANALYZING THE MATERIAL
CULTURE OF SCHOOLS
In order to analyze the material culture of schools as a signifier of either of the two
aforementioned registers we need to devise an inventory of multiple semiotic resources
signifying symbolic boundaries and potential uses and communications within the school
space.
We draw on Gramsci‘s concept of the inventory of traces as used by Said (1978). Said
argues that the starting point of any critical elaboration is the consciousness of what
something really is, and is ̳knowing thyself ‘ as a product of the historical process to date,
which has deposited in institutions an infinity of traces, without leaving an inventory.
3.1. Semiotic Resources for Classification
Starting from the semiotic resources that could be related to the notion of classification
we focus on symbolic boundaries in a school context. These symbolic boundaries could be
constructed by three basic functions namely segregation, separation and contrast (van
Leeuwen, 2005).
Segregation can be defined as the situation where two or more elements occupy entirely
different territories. Segregation is usually realized by partitions (e.g. solid walls, sliding
doors, fences, use of plants as dividers, curtains, etc) which separate spaces and hence people,
groups and/or activities associated with these spaces. There are two crucial characteristics that
modulate the level of classification in this case. The first characteristic is the permanence of
the corresponding partitions whereas the second one relates to their permeability. The more
permanent a partition is (the archetype in this case is a wall), the more strongly classified are
the people or the activities associated with the segregated spaces.
Furthermore, permeability has to do with the extent partitions allow communication
between the segregated territories. Communication is mainly related to perception, either
aural, or visual. Increased permeability signifies weaker framing allowing different groups of
people to communicate and thus blurring their sense of distinctiveness.
The second mechanism through which symbolic boundaries are constructed is that of
contrast. In this case, two elements culturally associated with different groups of people,
practices, institutions, etc, differ in terms of a quality (e.g. as realized by colours, materials,
shapes, sizes, or by any other formal feature). The different qualities act as emblems of
different cultural identities, thus they are recognized as signifiers of different categories. The
greater the number of the different qualities, the stronger is the classification.
The final mechanism that establishes symbolic boundaries in the context of material
culture is separation. Two or more elements are separated by empty space, and this suggests
that they should be seen as similar in some respects and different in others.