Kambangsa at the Intersection of Culture and Politics: A Multimodal Semiotic Analysis of Meranaw Political Tarpaulins

Abstract

Political campaign materials do more than identify candidates; they construct political identities through culturally meaningful signs. This study examines how Kambangsa, a Meranaw cultural value associated with family lineage and relational identity, is constructed and communicated in the political tarpaulins of Meranaw local politicians. Using a qualitative, interpretive research design, the study analyzes ten campaign tarpaulins from the May 2019 elections in Lanao del Sur. Guided by Kress and van Leeuwen’s social semiotics of visual communication, complemented by Barthes’ semiotic concepts and Peirce’s classification of signs, the analysis explores the interaction of linguistic, visual, chromatic, symbolic, and representational resources. Findings reveal four interconnected processes through which Kambangsa is constructed: transforming the candidate’s identity from individual to relational, visualizing genealogy as political capital, condensing lineage into a prominent surname, and integrating family identity with political legitimacy and public identity. Furthermore, the findings revealed that portraits, kinship expressions, family names, typography, and spatial arrangements collectively position candidates within culturally recognizable networks of belonging. Significantly, the surname emerges as a condensed semiotic resource through which lineage becomes visible without extensive genealogical representation. The study demonstrates that political tarpaulins function not merely as campaign advertisements but as multimodal texts that recontextualize cultural values within electoral communication. By examining Kambangsa at the intersection of culture and politics, this research contributes to understanding how lineage shapes the semiotic construction of political identity in Meranaw society.