RETHINKING STREET RENAMING: A BARTHESIAN SEMIOTIC APPROACH

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30606/jee.v12i1.4530

Keywords:

street renaming, Barthesian semiotics, critical toponymy, myth, naturalization

Abstract

Many studies explain the political motivations behind street renaming. However, few examine how new names become naturalized in public consciousness, as if they have always existed. This theoretical article addresses this gap by critically reviewing the literature on street renaming, from Rusu (2021) to studies published between 2022 and 2025. Political semiotics has dominated the field, but it has not fully explored the potential of Roland Barthes’ semiotics. Barthes’ concepts of myth and naturalization provide valuable tools to understand how meanings are formed and ideologies unconsciously accepted. Existing theories explain the reasons behind street renaming well, but they struggle to explain how new names are normalized in everyday life. This article proposes a Barthesian semiotic framework to analyze street names as signs that transform historical and political messages into everyday realities. By adopting this approach, scholars can better reveal the hidden ideological power embedded in urban naming practices.

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Author Biographies

Damsar, FISIP Universitas Andalas

Damsar is a Professor of Sociology at the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Universitas Andalas, Indonesia. He holds a doctorate (Dr. rer. soz.) from Bielefeld University, Germany, with a specialization in economic sociology. Recognized for his contributions to Indonesian sociological literature, his research profile—indexed in Scopus and Google Scholar—covers diverse fields including economic sociology, political sociology, and the sociology of education. He has authored several authoritative textbooks on the sociology of consumption, markets, and money. His current research interests focus on political semiotics and the discursive construction of urban spaces, particularly within the Indonesian socio-cultural landscape.    

Bob Alfiandi, FISIP Universitas Andalas

Bob Alfiandi is a lecturer and the current Dean of the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP), Universitas Andalas, Indonesia. He holds a Master’s degree in Sociology from Universitas Indonesia, specializing in political sociology and local democracy. His research profile, indexed in Google Scholar and SINTA, reflects a deep commitment to studying Indonesian political dynamics, social movements, and public policy. His current academic focus explores the intersections of social power and symbolic representation in public spaces. In this collaborative work, he contributes his expertise in political sociology to analyze the socio-political implications of language and naming in the urban environment.     Mengapa Bio ini disusun seperti ini?
  1. Jabatan Strategis: Mencantumkan posisi beliau sebagai Dean (Dekan) memberikan bobot otoritas tambahan di mata editor jurnal internasional.
  2. Keahlian Spesifik: Karena beliau pakar di bidang Political Sociology (Sosiologi Politik) dan Local Democracy, ini sangat "nyambung" dengan topik artikel Anda tentang penamaan jalan (street renaming) yang seringkali merupakan produk kebijakan politik lokal.
  3. Keselarasan Tim: Saya menambahkan kalimat di akhir untuk menunjukkan bagaimana keahlian beliau melengkapi perspektif teoretis Bapak Damsar, sehingga terlihat sebagai kolaborasi riset yang solid (Interdisciplinary approach).
  4. Rekam Jejak: Mengacu pada profil SINTA dan Scholar beliau yang banyak membahas dinamika politik di Indonesia.
Tips Pengisian di OJS:
  • Untuk Bob Alfiandi, jangan centang "Principal contact for editorial correspondence" jika Bapak Damsar atau Anda sendiri yang akan berkomunikasi dengan editor.
  • Tetap centang "Include this contributor in browse lists?" agar nama beliau muncul secara resmi di publikasi tersebut.
Apakah Anda perlu bantuan untuk menyusun urutan penulis (First Author & Co-Author) di sistem pengajuan nanti?                               Bob Alfiandi is a senior lecturer at the Department of Sociology, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP), Universitas Andalas, Indonesia. He earned his doctorate (Dr.) from IPB University, specializing in rural sociology, and holds a Master’s degree in Sociology from Universitas Gadjah Mada. His research profile, indexed in SINTA and Google Scholar, demonstrates extensive expertise in political sociology, social movements, and regional bureaucracy. Throughout his career, he has focused on the socio-political dynamics of Indonesian society and participatory regional mapping. In this study, he provides a sociological analysis of political symbols and the production of urban space within the Indonesian local context.                                                                    

Katubi, National research and Innovation Agency, Indonesia

Katubi is a Senior Researcher at the Research Center for Language and Literature Preservation, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Indonesia. He holds a doctorate in Linguistics and has dedicated his career to the study of sociolinguistics, language shift, and ethnolinguistic identity. His extensive research, widely documented in Scopus, SINTA, and Google Scholar, focuses on the preservation of minority languages and the symbolic role of language in cultural landscapes. As a leading linguist, he provides critical expertise in semiotic analysis and discourse studies, particularly in examining how linguistic choices reflect socio-political identities within the Indonesian archipelago.

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Published

2026-06-01

How to Cite

Yance, I., Damsar, Alfiandi, B., & Katubi. (2026). RETHINKING STREET RENAMING: A BARTHESIAN SEMIOTIC APPROACH. JEE (Journal of English Education), 12(1), 96–114. https://doi.org/10.30606/jee.v12i1.4530

Issue

Vol. 12 No. 1 (2026): JEE (Journal of English Education)

Section

Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2026 Imelda Yance, Damsar, Bob Alfiandi, Katubi

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.