Identifying Overlapping Speech Communities through Holographic Methodology: The Case of Signing Communities in Panama

Abstract

In this paper, I offer Holographic Methodology as a new approach for identifying the largely unexplored phenomenon of overlapping speech communities. Based conceptually on recent technological advances in holography, Holographic Methodology visualizes complex social systems as emitting community "hotspots" through social drama on multiple stages. Locating and characterizing these hotspots using ethnographic methods reveals overlapping contours of speech communities in both time and space, similar to what a hologram accomplishes. I illustrate Holographic Methodology with the case of signing communities in Panama. The resulting hologram depicts overlapping Chiriqui and Panamanian Signing Communities using distinct signed languages.