Analogical argumentation in text genres

empirical studies

Rosalice Pinto

pp. 171-187

in: Henrique Jales Ribeiro (ed), Systematic approaches to argument by analogy, Berlin, Springer, 2014

Abstract

This paper addresses the role of analogical argumentation in multimodal persuasive text genres that are used in social practices. By considering the multimodal 'semiotisation" (linguistic and non-linguistic aspects) of the analogical argumentation presented in different text genres we will define a textual analysis methodology that takes into account the complexity of the text as our object of analysis. In order to prove the importance of analogical argumentation in these texts we will show samples of three multimodal text genres that were selected in Portugal during the last years—a political poster and two advertisements: one from commercial activity and the other from a non-governmental organization. This study provides some evidence on the influence of contextual aspects on both the multimodal argumentative materialisation of persuasive text genres and on the variousanalogical argumentative movements.