Dialogicality and imaginings of two ‘community’ notice boards in post-apartheid Observatory, Cape Town

Abstract

This article undertakes a poststructuralist multisemiotic analysis of posters and notices found on two 'community' notice boards in the trendy, multicultural neighbourhood of Observatory in Cape Town, South Africa. An analysis of the two notice boards endeavours to reveal different strategic uses of English as well as varying constructions of (transnational) place-making and community in Observatory. The two notice boards reveal voices of transient and permanent groups alike and index new imaginative constructions of this changing neighbourhood. Furthermore, this paper explores the implications of strategic linguistic processes in self-marketisation of transnational and 'local' community members in Observatory. We conclude by expounding on the new perspective of transcultural capital and what it means to the sociolinguistics of a super-diverse neighbourhood in the post-apartheid neighbourhood of Observatory in Cape Town, South Africa. IntroductionThe article explores identity construction in the notices on two adjacent 'community' notice boards in the trendy, multicultural neighbourhood of Observatory in Cape Town, South Africa. The article also aims to unravel motivations behind the choices in language used in notices representative of the Observatory community.

What are analog bulletin boards used for today? Analysing media uses, intermediality and technology affordances in Swedish bulletin board messages using a citizen science approach

“…One interesting phenomenon to investigate is the turnover of messages on bulletin boards. This would require longitudinal studies such as the one reported by Peck & Banda [ 6 ] where a selection of boards are followed over time. This way, it would be possible to assess how frequently the board is used, which messages are preserved or removed, to detect if there are moderation of censorship practices, and through in-depth qualitative analysis, find out more about the local needs and uses of this media technology.…”

“…So far, however, only one study has dealt exclusively with notice boards. By documenting the content and changes of two “community” notice boards over one year, Peck and Banda [ 6 ] discuss patterns of “self-marketisation” and place-making in the post-apartheid neighbourhood of Observatory in Cape Town, South Africa. Their results show how new immigrant inhabitants in the neighbourhood deploy non-normative writing and orthography for upward social mobility; the “‘orthographic errors’ actually index the foreignness desired by middle-class residents in Observatory”[ 6 ].…”

‘Kids sold, desperate moms need cash’: Media representations of Zimbabwean women migrants

“…There has also been no acknowledgement of the positive contributions by migrant women. Indeed, as Peck and Banda (2014) and Banda and Mawadza (2015) note, in addition to some being employed in various highly skilled and professional fields, women from Zimbabwe and Malawi, for example, are treasured as child minders and domestic workers, arguably comparable to Filipino women in the United States of America. In some cases, these women are well aware of the market demands and are there to take advantage of it.…”