Linguistic Signs and Meanings between Material and Relational Processes in Cyber-based Interactive Responses towards the Transgenderism Issue: A Semiotic and SFL Perspective

Abstract

. This SFL and semiotic study scrutinizes the linguistic signs and meanings built in the interactive comments responding to a suspected transgenderism issue of post genital reconstruction surgery of an Indonesian celebrity that has been viral on YouTube. Specifically, this study limits the focus of its analysis on material and relational processes. 144 comments in Indonesian towards a YouTube video of more than 2 million views were analyzed for their transitivity of material and relational processes by employing the tables of analysis adapted from Halliday’s experiential meaning framework. Then the analyzed constituents of transitivity were further interpreted based on the categorization of linguistic signs built by responders. Findings of this study reveal that responders in cyber media employed similar and different functional strategies in building signs and meanings towards the taboo and sensitive transgender issue in the Indonesian context, as shown by the evidences of scrutiny on the linguistic features.