Page 175 - Communication Processes Volume 3 Communication Culture and Confrontation

150 Guy Poitevin

Box 4.3
Cognitive Mapping (Vdr-24)
Title: A donkey erects a brass city, marries a princess and every night rides on
horseback round the world.
Semanteme:
l Actant: potter, princess, king, queen, donkey, horse
l Space: earth, heaven, palace, city, forest
l Time: night, midnight
l Action: marriage, building city and palace, riding round the world, royal
decree
l Function: fear, made of brass and copper, obstinacy
Mytheme:
l Ride on horseback.
l A Śudra marries a princess.
Hermeneutics:
-
-
l Narrator’s insight: The donkey is a form, rupa, of god, being an avatar of
-
Hanuman.
l Analytic category 1: Śudra vindicates highest status through deifying the
donkey.
l Analytic category 2: Caste god is a ground for status, social identity and
assertion.
Cognitive forms:
l Identification through symbolic self-image: an emblematic figure is projected
to be owned as symbolic reference of one’s own identity.
l Recognition through community god and worship, media of symbolic insertion
and social communication.
l Recognition through self-assertive moves of autonomy and resistance.
l Claim to ascendancy.
Logic mode:
l Insertion
l Inversion
l Excellence
l Revelation
Theme: Low caste self-upgrading to highest status.
Process: Inversion of subordinated condition through claim and revelation of
a hidden divine nature.
Source: Created by the author.