The Semiotics of Culture and the Transmedia Approach: Strategies for Intrinsic Motivation in Yoga Practice within Educational Health Contexts
Nicole de Azevedo Bonavita, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, NUTES Institute (Brazil)
Abstract
Yoga, officially recognised in Brazil by the National Policy of Integrative and Complementary Practices (PNPIC), faces significant challenges in its incorporation into Western culture, particularly in the educational and health contexts. This study explores how the transmedia approach can be utilised to enhance students' intrinsic motivation for practising Yoga within the school environment, especially in Physical Education classes. The
research adopts a semiotic perspective to understand how Yoga, as a form of bodily expression, can be re-signified and integrated into contexts that present cultural and symbolic resistance. The methodology employed includes the collection and analysis of data through pre-intervention questionnaires and the application of the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (IMI) to assess the impact of the transmedia intervention on students' motivation. The intervention was conducted with 100 primary and secondary school students, using various media such as YouTube, Instagram, and WhatsApp to facilitate the cultural translation of Yoga. The results indicate that transmedia storytelling significantly contributed to the participants' intrinsic motivation, promoting greater adherence to and understanding of Yoga as a tool for promoting physical and mental health. The transmedia approach proved effective in creating cultural translation zones that facilitated the re-signification of Yoga and increased student engagement. However, the study suggests that long-term analyses are necessary to determine whether the practice of Yoga will be incorporated sustainably into the participants' lives.
Keywords: Semiotics of culture; Transmedia; Intrinsic motivation; Education; Translation
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