Images of electricity: perceptions of loss and semiotic communication of risk

Pirgova, Luba 2016. Images of electricity: perceptions of loss and semiotic communication of risk. PhD Thesis, Cardiff University. Item availability restricted.

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Abstract

Electricity is a tool used by people and the basis for life in a technologically advanced world. From production to consumption, electricity is an important part of, and has a great impact on, everyday life; and yet despite its prevalence, electricity remains a largely unseen phenomenon of both nature and nurture. This thesis is situated in the social sciences' conceptual context and will explore to what extent electricity is not only a part of our lives, but also how and what it changes in relation to our perceptions of the world. The particular focus of this research is on the images of electricity as created by individuals but circulated in and interpreted by communities and societies. As electricity is unseen, all communication regarding energy and electricity (just like any other abstract idea) is achieved primarily through the use of images (including visual, narrative and performative types of images). There is a great variety of theoretical models that can enable in-depth analysis of these images and reveal human perceptions of electricity as well as the influence these perceptions can have on human decision-making processes, behaviors, and social interactions. Images produced in times of turmoil due to a catalyst event are particularly poignant at excavating the unseen and unconsidered and provide opportunities for study, which cannot be conducted at other times. In this, thesis two case studies are presented and analyzed, namely Hurricane Sandy (2012) and Bulgarian Energy Protests (2013). Specifically, the emphasis is on interpreting images from these two cases as signs - iconic signs and/or symbols - and on the consequent transformations of their elements when created and used in different social contexts. The analysis of the empirical data is twofold: first thematic and content analyses followed by second, a semiotic analysis. The semiotic approach to studying images of electricity has not been attempted so far as extensively as it could – or indeed, should - be and it is used in this thesis to offer an alternative way of approaching electricity research and a different understanding of how electricity can shape or influence our views, values, and actions. In other words, the major focus of the study is on images of electricity produced in times of turmoil, which are further analyzed as signs that are integrated into communication between individuals, within communities, and in a society and understood through the use of shared codes and contextual knowledge/experience.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Status:	Unpublished
Schools:	Psychology
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	24 January 2017
Date of Acceptance:	19 January 2017
Last Modified:	11 Dec 2020 03:09
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/97588

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