Crowdscapes. Participatory research and the collaborative (re)construction of linguistic landscapes with Lingscape

Abstract

Abstract Public signage is a central element of the socio-pragmatic organization of everyday practice. The survey of signs and written language in the public sphere has developed into a vital branch of sociolinguistics called “linguistic landscapes”. The paper introduces a participatory research project, Lingscape, that focuses on the documentation and analysis of linguistic landscapes worldwide. Making use of a dedicated mobile research app, the project aims at creating awareness for the semiotic complexity and social relevance of public signage. After the discussion of two basic functions of public signage and two fundamental pragmatic conditions of sign perception, the text briefly introduces the app and project workflow. This is followed by the results of an analysis of the Vienna linguistic landscape using a large dataset collected with the app. This includes a quantitative evaluation of the contributions by different user groups to the (re)construction of a Vienna “crowdscape” as well as a qualitative investigation of the presence and social status of Austrian German in said crowdscape. Finally, the text presents an in-depth discussion about challenges for participatory research in practical work that focuses on the objectives of participatory research and the practical necessities against the backdrop of academic practice.

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