An Overview of the Representation of Iranian Cultural Identity in Illustrated YA Books Using Social Semiotics

 
Illustrated books are among the most important cultural products made for the Young Adult age group which aim to represent the issues related to adolescent life in different literary genres. These literary genres are divided into different categories, such as textbooks, scientific books, poetry books, fiction, and translated fiction. The samples examined here are from the illustrated fiction genre. These books’ unique feature of narrating stories from the heart of society and the culture from which they spring, can indirectly introduce young adults to fundamental concepts and issues such as the cultural identity of their Homeland. Cultural identity is by far one of the most meaningful constituents of the national identity of a country. Especially in the era of globalization and in the countries facing this phenomenon, understanding the components of identity, especially cultural identity, is considered vital for young adults. These categories encompass the G, D, and H rating categories (which include children’s books, middle grade, and parental guidance ratings in the Iranian rating system) and overall the young adult category (ages ten to fifteen in Iran), which means they are at an age where they are curious about cultural and social phenomena around them as well as being at their most impressionable life stage. This review aims to introduce the components of the Iranian cultural identity and analyze how these components are represented in illustrated YA books. The methodology here is a descriptive-analytical approach, and the social semiotic method introduced by Gunther Kress and Theo Van Leeuwen is employed for visual analysis and semiotics; however, it must be noted that, unlike other studies that solely focus on visual social semiotics introduced by the aforementioned in their book titled “Reading Images” when it comes to analyzing visual language, this paper will focus on this method to the extent that it is relevant to ‘social semiotics.’ The research samples are selected from the illustrated YA fiction books that were submitted to three cycles of the “Top Book of the Year Festival” organized by the Cultural Association of Children’s Book Publishers in the 2010s. A total of 230 titles were selected by the biennial festival, 47 of which were considered cultural artworks. This article is based on Laleh Jahanbakhsh’s dissertation titled “An Overview of the Representation of National Identity in Illustrated YA books. Case study: titles submitted to four biennial cycles at the “Top Book of the Year Festival” organized by the Cultural Association of Children’s Book Publishers in the 2010s” under the supervision of Dr. Hassan Soltani, Tehran University of Art. Due to the word limit, this article focuses on three titles selected from the aforementioned category that discuss cultural identity. These titles were researched and analyzed using social semiotics, and the result is presented here. These titles were selected using purposive sampling. Each of the three titles represents an important component of cultural identity. The first component is language, which has been used in the most famous literary titles recorded in different periods of Iranian history as a part of Iranian culture. The second component is ancient Iranian mythological figures, which are widely discussed in titles such as Shahnameh (The Epic of Kings by Ferdowsi). The third component is customs, traditions, rituals, beliefs, and values, the sum of which is known as the cultural heritage of Iran. These titles were accessed in the field and also observed as photographs.
This paper aims to answer three questions: Firstly, what are the components that make up the cultural identity that’s represented in Illustrated YA books? Secondly, what are the cultural resources that illustrators use in their work? Thirdly, how do designers and illustrators use the available cultural resources concerning the context of the society in which they present their work? This research paper hypothesizes that many visual resources survive from many different art movements and cultural eras and are still available to this day. Designers and illustrators influenced by contemporary visual trends can use these rich visual resources to introduce and familiarize their YA audience with the authentic Iranian visual culture in addition to creating new and innovative art that is in tandem with the demands and tastes of the culture, society, and the audience who would be consuming these new artworks. The research proved that three general categories were used more often by illustrators to introduce cultural identity in the sample books. The first component is language, which has been used in the most famous literary titles recorded in different periods of Iranian history as a part of Iranian culture. The second component is ancient Iranian mythological figures, and the third component is the customs, traditions, rituals, beliefs, and values, the sum of which is known as the cultural heritage of Iran. To answer the second and third questions, three picture samples were selected from the illustrated YA books. Each title reflected one of the three components of cultural identity when it was submitted to the Cultural Association of Children’s Book Publishers. Social semiotics and visual social semiotics were used to analyze these samples. The results showed that designers chose elements from the available cultural, visual, and symbolic resources that already exist based on the societal and cultural context and the genre in which their work is presented. As we saw in the picture of the “Rostam and Sohrab and a Celebration Called Sadeh” book, the illustrator was inspired by the Iranian illustrations in different eras, beginning with the Parthian murals to the coffee house paintings. The illustrator attempts to represent an authentic Iranian atmosphere by combining these styles with contemporary visual art. This method supports the traditional Iranian culture and can also create a new visual atmosphere based on the social context and the genre of the illustrated YA book. These individual choices were made based on the personal interests of the artist and in compliance with the principles of clarity and proportionality. The illustrators also use a new signification process to convert the old signs and symbols into new signs and symbols to fit the new context in which the images will be presented. This works differently in the images relating to “Their hands smelled of flowers.” In that sample, the illustrator may not have been inspired by the different eras of Iranian visual culture, but the elements, signs, and tools used by the illustrator show visual references to the era in which the story of the book takes place. Therefore, people’s unique social nature and their access to cultural resources that are socially constructed indicate they are active participants in the processes of semiotics and communication.