Abstract
The use of graffiti as a tool for political solidarity has been universally documented in the academic lexicon. Using symbols of resilience, justice, disenfranchisement, and hope, graffiti is a unique phenomenon for visual rhetorical studies. The variety of artifacts spanning millennia document socio-political shifts, economic disparity, and messages of rebirth for systems in crisis. This study conducts a semiotic analysis of protest graffiti created during Bangladesh’s Student-People Uprising of July 2024 to explore how visual and linguistic signs construct messages of hope and solidarity. Using Ferdinand de Saussure’s (2021) semiotic framework, this research examines the symbolic and rhetorical elements present in the graffiti to identify recurring themes of collective resilience. Additionally, Synder’s Hope Theory (1991) is applied to assess how these artworks communicate goal-oriented optimism and collective action. The findings reveal distinct progression in messaging, with early graffiti emphasizing solidarity as a unifying force, while later artworks shift toward themes of hope, reinforcing a vision for positive change. This study highlights graffiti as a powerful political tool that fosters community motivation and mobilization, particularly within marginalized groups. By demonstrating how protest art contributes to movements for social change, this research underscores the broader role of visual discourse in political activism.
Journal Title
Iowa Journal of Communication
Volume
57
Issue
1
First Page
164
Last Page
182
Language
en
File Format
application/pdf
Recommended Citation
Smith, Jordan D.
(2025)
"Remembering July 36th: A Semiotic Analysis of the Student-People's Revolutionary Graffiti,"
Iowa Journal of Communication: Vol. 57:
No.
1, Article 10.
Available at:
https://scholarworks.uni.edu/ijc/vol57/iss1/10
Copyright
©2025 Iowa Communication Association
