A Comparative Study on Identity Construction of Pictures on Chinese and American Corporate Websites
Based on the visual grammar theory and related identity theories,this study compares the themes and interactive features of Chinese and American corporate web pictures to explore the individual and relational corporate identities constructed by the pictures.Results show that,in terms of picture theme,Chinese companies prefer to communicate ability-related themes such as industry status and corporate spirit to construct their individual identity as industry leaders.On the contrary,American companies favor social responsibility-related themes involving serving communities and caring for employees to construct their individual identity as social contributors.Regarding the interactive features,Chinese corporate web pictures feature very few human actors,who usually have demanding gaze at viewers to construct a within-group relational identity,while their American counterparts prefer to focus on human actors without gaze at viewers,thus constructing an out-of-group relational identity.Besides,American corporate pictures are usually taken at a short distance and from a horizontal angle to construct an intimate and equal relational identity,while the Chinese counterparts are often taken at a far distance and from a low angle,projecting a distant and authoritative relational identity.This study has practical implications for international communication of Chinese companies and business English teaching.
web picturesvisual grammarinteractive featurecorporate identityidentity construction
万方数据
维普
