Stereotypes about scholars in popular scientific articles in English and Lithuanian : a multimodal perspective

Abstract

The aim of the article is to analyse the visual representation of scholars in popular scientific articles in English and Lithuanian. The theory of multimodality, which is defined as the combination of various modes (e.g. the text, photos, pictures, videos, etc.) in meaning making, forms the theoretical basis for the research. In total, 252 photos representing scholars from English and Lithuanian popular scientific articles in the humanities have been analysed. The research reveals that the scholars (authors of the articles and the subject matter in the articles) are represented in an emblematic and stereotypical way. A neutral and depersonalized portrait of a scholar is created by the combination of such variables as a direct look to the viewer, a smile, official clothes, or unidentified setting. The cultural differences in the representation of scholars in English and Lithuanian highlight the existing cultural stereotypes concerning scholars, as well as contribute to different genre expectations.