Den genomskinliga plastväskan som identitetsskapande: en semiotisk bildanalys om hur en väska i transparent plast skapar nya förutsättningar för hur vi kommunicerar vår identitet

Sammanfattning: The conditions for identity formation are changing depending on where it’s presented and represented. Fashion is an important component when trying to communicate and create a social identity in today’s urban society which is characterized by consumption and media. This essay aims to examine in what way the transparent plastic bag can communicate our identity. By investigating and analyzing Instagram images of the plastic bag, through a semiotic analysis, we can understand which components are relevant and why. The results of the semiotic image analysis shows that the plastic bag holds a key position when trying to communicate an identity through it, mainly due to its capability to transform and be formed. The carrier can curate the content of the bag in a desired way, depending on the individual ideals and goals to be reached. Combined with the theories on how we create, build and communicate our identity the results show us which higher symbolic values we add to material culture. By knowing that the symbolic value in material culture is crucial for our identity, the study also shows how we both embrace and distance ourselves from the values we can or can’t identify ourselves with. Hence, we can use the transparent plastic bag to create, experiment and communicate our identity in a variable way.