Riding on Slogans and Mottos: Bicycle Taxis as Mobile Bodies of Meaning in Malawi

Abstract

This article analyses slogans and mottos inscribed on bicycle taxis operating in Malawi. It examines how they become platforms where texts are transformed for expanded production and consumption of meaning. Specifically, bicycle taxis are a microcosm of the everyday mode of transport and their slogans represent underlying socio-cultural meanings. The study collected 150 unique slogans from bicycle taxis situated at different ranks throughout Malawi. It also used in-depth interviews to collect data from taxi owners, and a qualitative thematic method for analysis. The findings reveal that slogans and mottos are syncretic creative socio-cultural symbols and styles which the operators use to express their innermost feelings and ideologically link their identities to specific cultures. The article argues that slogans on bicycle taxis are a larger linguistic landscape of varied transformed meanings revolving around salient topics of lifetime experiences, the sociopolitical economy, and linguistic diversity in Malawi.

Keywords:

• slogan
• motto
• ideology
• bicycle taxi
• linguistic diversity
• linguistic landscape