The Theoretical and Methodological Framework. Semiotic Cultural Psychology, Symbolic Universes and Lines of Semiotic Forces

This chapter outlines the theoretical and methodological framework underpinning the empirical analyses and discussions proposed throughout the volume. To this end, the chapter is broken up into four parts. Firstly, a general discussion on the role of meaning in decision-making and action is provided. Secondly, the Semiotic Cultural Psychological Theory (SCPT) is outlined, as a specific way of modelling meaning, sensemaking and the role it plays in social processes. Thirdly, a methodological framework is drawn from the SCPT, defining both the what and the how of the analysis of cultural dynamics and its interplay with people’s way of feeling, thinking and acting.