2013/03/07 by Sarah Florini · 2 citations
Computer Science · Arts and Humanities · Psychology · #Digital Communication and Language #Language, Discourse, Communication Strategies #Discourse Analysis in Language Studies #Literal and figurative language #Avatar #Sociology #Meaning (existential) #Identity (music) #Cultural identity #Social media #Race (biology) #Media studies #Linguistics #Aesthetics #Gender studies #Psychology #Art #Literature #Computer science #World Wide Web #Social science
paper · doi:10.1177/1527476413480247
openalex publication_date 2013/03/07 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/31
This article explores the use of the Black American cultural tradition of “signifyin’” as a means of performing racial identity online. In the United States, race is deeply tied to corporeal signifiers. But, in social media, the body can be obscured or even imitated (e.g., by a deceptive avatar). Without reliable corporeal signifiers of racial difference readily apparent, Black users often perform their identities through displays of cultural competence and knowledge. The linguistic practice of “signifyin’,” which deploys figurative language, indirectness, doubleness, and wordplay as a means of conveying multiple layers of meaning, serves as a powerful resource for the performance of Black cultural identity on Twitter.